The Furthest Planet From The Sun
by Mahi-Mahi
Summary: He took her away…far from the warmth of her sun.
1. Chapter 1

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THE FURTHEST PLANET FROM THE SUN

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A turbulent heart is a heavy burden to bear. It hangs in ones chest like an anvil, swinging back and forth on a rickety chain of fate that had begun to rust and decay from the poisonous thoughts that infect the mind. It bumped against the innards of her chest, rattling her lungs and shaking her ribs. She felt the full weight of it hanging from that chain, pulling against her throat until it felt as if it had collapsed in on itself, making it hard to swallow and breathe…making it hard to live. It grows thicker and thicker until the weight becomes too oppressive and cumbersome to withstand.

The weight of the heart is a heavy burden to bear. It reminds you how selfish you are when you're leaning over the one you love, about to steal a kiss that doesn't belong to you. It seizes in your body until it pains you, until you wish you were numb when cowardice feelings and depraved sentiments erupt inside of you like a virus, whispering to you like a seductress, '_why should you have to sacrifice yourself for them?_' It can rot inside of you until it hurts so bad you wish there was nothing left inside to hurt.

The heart is a heavy burden that one must carry…but Orihime Inoue wouldn't trade hers for anything in this world.

Racing thoughts, images and scenarios swam through the mind of the girl in question like a whirlwind. Taking off at great speeds and picking up momentum with the direction and character of said thoughts as they grew in size and nature, becoming too intense and troublesome to carry on the wind. They shot off into the night, only to curve back around as they reached the edge of her mind, quickly completing their orbit as they swung around the rim of their gravitational pull before inevitably returning from whence they had came in an unending process.

Over and over like a broken record, they would reenter her mind before she would attempt to rid herself of the depressing thoughts springing to life inside of her like a sickness. She shook her head to shed them from her person as one would wipe the dust off ones clothes. And she would walk on, trying to leave them behind as she continued onward to a destination unknown. But they would always return, twice as strong and thrice as disheartening.

_I should have said goodbye to Tatsuki-chan, she would be the most worried for me._ She would think, before reconciling, _But Kurosaki-kun needed me. It wasn't because I was being selfish, was it?_

Orihime sighed, resigning herself to try and forget about it completely. What's done is done and what happened before will simply become a faded memory, a past life. She was leaving it all behind, everything that she had lived for, she was now giving up. She was going to protect them this way. If she was nothing but a hindrance on the battlefield, then she would be a help off of it and as far from them as possible, even if it was just this one small thing she could do.

Slowing her steps, Orihime looked around the darkness of the empty street. It was late and the moon was still far from the horizon. She had no idea where she was supposed to go or what she was meant to do. The Espada from the senkaimon had made it clear what would happen to her friends if she didn't obey, but he had been vague on the details of everything else. She didn't know if she was meant to meet someone here in town, or if someone was going to come collect her or even where this 'exchange' was to occur. Perhaps they had forgotten about her?

She could only wish…

Standing under a flickering street lamp, Orihime turned her attention to the left, examining the park that had been severely scarred during the Arrancar's violent visit to the mortal realm. She didn't know where else to go as this was the only location that had occurred to her to visit given it was also the last place she could recall seeing _him_ outside of the senkaimon.

Orihime lifted her foot to take a step forward, but something inside her hesitated. There was something here, something hidden in the night. She could feel it's presence like she felt the breeze caressing her skin and tugging at her hair. It carried with it a warning of something foreboding. Whispering in her ear to at once both run away and beckon her closer. It blew over her moist cheeks, mocking her for the tears she had been crying and reminding her of what she was leaving behind, showing her what awaited in the darkness ahead.

She could see a figure inside that blackness, a shadow within the shadows. It stood unmoving, waiting quietly like a statue on the other side of the small crater that marred the once lush ground. She knew at once it was him, the reiatsu surrounding the area was far too…suffocating to be anything else. It crawled over her skin like a disgusting hoard of insects, bringing bubbles of anxiety and anticipation to rise up in her chest and wrought prickles of goose bumps to sting her arms as she stared down the lone figure, putting all of her concentration into a quickly weakening resolve to remain impassive and unaffected by the ominous atmosphere around him.

His eyes slowly slid open, glowing out from the darkness like a separate entity of their own to peer at her.

Orihime brought a hand to her chest as she took a step back, every instinct inside her body telling her to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. Her head throbbed in time with the pulsating rhythm of her heart, beating in tempo to the screeches of 'danger, danger' echoing through her mind as she began to gravely reconsider this 'agreement' that they had come to.

He had assured her safe passage, but right now, at this moment as she stood on the receiving end of that haunting stare…she felt anything but safe.

Without saying a word, the shadowy figure removed a hand from its pocket, lifting it to make a small, indiscernible motion against the barren air beside him. Orihime watched in silence as the atmosphere he had touched began to distort and warp the darkness like a heat wave on a summer day. With a suddenness that made her gasp, the disfigured space split apart with a terrible cacophony of ripping screeches and shredding howls of anguish as it tore through dimensions.

"Come, it's time to leave." Said the shadow as he returned his hand to his pocket, waiting patiently beside the garganta. His voice was sickly soft and as quiet as the night.

Orihime swallowed softly as she moved forward one step at a time with feet that felt as heavy as lead until she reached the edge of the halo of light the street lamp had provided her. The last vestiges of safety provided in this small ring of flickering, dim hope. She hesitated again as, not for the first time, she began to second guess her decision. She could hear the hum of electricity pumping through the power lines over head and the faint raucous of branches rubbing together under the gentle sway of the breeze.

Then, after a few seconds of contemplation, she stepped out of her circle of light and into the darkness, treading towards a future unknown until she stopped just a few feet from the dimensional rift he had opened. Orihime warily eyed the chaos of energy before her that was the garganta, wavering with uncertainty as fear began to simmer and burn inside of her. It was bedlam in there. He couldn't possibly expect her to enter something so perilous, could he? She turned to her escort, hoping for some guidance as to what she should do in such a predicament.

His eyes hadn't left her person and she could still barely see his face for the darkness that cloaked the both of them. But with the eerie radiance his gaze seemed to give off, she didn't need to ask him in order to tell he expected her to walk straight into that mess. Her eyes immediately glanced back into the garganta with trepidation before lowering them to the ground.

"I…I'm scared." She had to force the humiliating words from her mouth, hoping he would understand.

She didn't know what was on the other side of that gate, she didn't know what would happen to her when she stepped inside or if she would even come out on the other end. It wasn't like when she broke into Soul Society, her friends had been with her then, giving her strength. Now...she was alone.

"There is nothing to be afraid of," He said without a hint of compassion. "Go, Lord Aizen is waiting for you." Orihime shivered, his voice could give a child nightmares.

"Is…is it dangerous?" She asked as his reassurances had done little to ease her fears.

"You must create your own path of reishi once you enter, otherwise you will fall to parts unknown." He replied, reinforcing her belief that if she were to enter such a place, she would never come out alive. "Are you capable of doing this?" He asked, and there was something in the way he stated it, perhaps the shortness of his words, that gave her the feeling he would rather sit here all night and teach her how, rather than have to do something as degrading as carry her to the other side.

"Well, I'm unsure," She answered honestly. "I've never tried before." Orihime closed her eyes as discouraging thoughts about how the necessity to try such a thing probably never would have been an obstacle in her life if he hadn't accosted her earlier that day…and what he did to those Soul Reapers? _How could he…?_ She had barely been able to piece them back together, afterwards.

"We don't have all night, woman."

"I'm sorry, I just…I can't." She said before quickly reaching up to cover her mouth when hot tears began to prick at her eyes, realizing what she was about to do.

His eyes narrowed in on her. "What?" He said a little too sharply in that soft, spine chilling voice of his for her to feel comfortable.

"I…I-"

"You have got to be kidding me!" A loud, effeminate voice suddenly shrieked out from overhead, reverberating through the quiet, empty park like a shot. "_This_ is what we came all the way to the human world for? This is such bullshit! What a crock! What a waste of time!" It cried again in a series of unyielding insults. Orihime whirled her head around, looking skyward to see a figure silhouetted against the moon above, standing in midair to glare down upon their persons with open disgust.

"Luppi…" She heard her companion say quietly beside her as the newcomer slowly came into view, clouds splitting from the moon to light the features of an individual she, at first glance, believed to be a young woman.

"This is clear abuse of the Espada, I can't believe we went through so much trouble for a piece of shit like that." He growled, his dark hair fell prettily around his face as he looked down on her, examining her from the inside out, looking for any signs of strength. "It makes me want to vomit." He said disdainfully as he quickly and immediately came to the conclusion she was worthless.

"Is there a reason for your presence here…Luppi?" Her pale escort questioned, unmoved from his position.

The young man frowned, marring the attractive features of his delicate face. His long lashes narrowed over his lavender eyes, causing a small crease to form between his brows. "Do I need a reason to come and inspect this _great prize_ we fought so hard to obtain?" He said mockingly, clearly referring to Orihime.

"So, Lord Aizen did not send you."

The other man didn't respond.

"Leave. You're unneeded here." He said dismissively, turning away from him in a manner that the younger man seemed to find highly offensive.

"You're not my boss, Ulquiorra!" He nearly spat. "I can do whatever the hell I want…" Luppi intoned darkly before finishing with a threatening, "And right now, maybe I want to test out the strength of this wrench."

Her attendant paused to observe his comrade over his shoulder, staring him down with eyes that seemed to reflect her own image like a mirror in the dim light surrounding them. "After all, if Lord Aizen regards her so highly, she must have some value," He continued. "And I want to see it _now_!"

There was a deep silence for a moment and Orihime clutched her hand tighter to her chest, readying herself for an attack from the irate boy as she was unsure whether this other man would bother to offer her protection or throw her to the wolves without a care.

"Should I repeat myself?" He asked, keeping his gaze fixated on the boy when he didn't receive an immediate answer. "Leave." He ordered again, putting no real feeling into the word, but leaving no room for argument.

"Heh, if you want me to leave, you'll have to get rid of all of us." He replied haughtily, and as he finished his rant a pair of eyes appeared from shadows of the trees surrounding them, followed by another and another. Each glowing with an otherworldly presence as shapes and figures of bodies manifested around them, seemingly melting out of the darkness like her worst of nightmares turned reality.

As they got closer, Orihime gasped as she instantly recognized each of the men in their pack.

This was the group that had attacked Ichigo and the others…Orihime's mind spun with the prospect that she had quite possibly gotten out of one trap and walked straight into another.

"Ulquiorraa!" A large, muscular man grinned as he approached her without caution. "So you actually got her, I can't believe she seriously agreed to come along!" He said as he sauntered closer, until he got a little too close for comfort. She took several steps back as she recalled how he had struck her down without a qualm the last time they were in this park together. She had barely remembered much after that, and the fact Ichigo had succeeded in removing the arm from the body of such an intimidating and massive man seemed like such a momentous task now that she thought back on it. All she had remembered from that battle was pain and heartache and the sudden realization that she wasn't as useful to Ichigo as she once thought she was.

"Yes…she does seem rather stupid to have agreed to such a stupid and obvious trap." Luppi concurred with barely restrained contempt, apparently intent on reiterating how _stupid_ he thought her to be for coming here.

When Yammy took another frightening step closer and extended his arm towards her in a manner Orihime could not tell was friendly or not, she panicked and called forth her Shun Shun Rikka, spreading her shield out before her reflexively as she cried out, "Please! You swore there would be no more violence!" She pleaded to anyone who would listen, anyone who would have enough honor to hold up their end of the bargain.

The hefty man in front of her burst out laughing, apparently finding her pleads for mercy humorously entertaining as he went on a rant of how 'weak and pathetic' she was. Orihime had stopped listening. She didn't care what they thought of her, so long as they kept their promise. As he continued to bark on about her, she took a step back, trying to put some well needed space between them.

She gasped as she bumped into something and swirled around with frantic eyes, expecting the worst.

"Who-" She began as she looked down on a blonde haired boy staring up at her with wide, expressive eyes. "I…I'm sorry," Orihime took a step back, trying to apologize for her mistake when the stranger suddenly reached out with more speed and force than necessary to grab her arm, pulling her down close to his crouched person.

"Ooh…" He breathed out, completely engrossed with doing nothing more than simply staring at her.

"P-pardon?" Orihime asked, trying to sound inoffensive, as she was unsure of what he had said.

"_Waahh_!" The boy repeated with a determined voice, pulling her nearly face to face as he reached out and touched the pins hidden in her auburn hair. He seemed completely entranced by her as he tried to manage a few more syllables of words she couldn't even remotely understand. When he pulled her fully against him in an embrace too strong for her to break, Orihime protested with as much strength and bravado she could muster.

"Wait a second," She protested, attempting to remove herself from his firm grasp. When he rested his cheek on her breasts and stared up at her with wonderstruck eyes, Orihime blushed with embarrassment and discomfort as she continue to twist away from him, only to have the young man squeeze her tighter and tighter like a snake until she could hardly breathe properly. "Please, stop!" Her eyes watered with frustration and fear as her words made no leeway with him and her lips trembled with her failed efforts to keep her disgruntled frown in place, only to fail as she felt every ounce of her pride leave her when she realized it was a useless endeavor.

Orihime turned her head away, feeling too violated and defeated to even bother trying.

"Waah?" The boy intoned with a questioning glance, his mouth forming into a pout upon seeing her tears. "Uhn," He urged, poking at her hairpins again.

Orihime shook her head, trying to keep the hysterics out of her voice. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you!"

"Uhn! Uhn!" He repeated, continuing to gently poke at her.

Orihime blinked as she slowly began to realize what the boy was trying to convey. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she thought that, perhaps, this one didn't seem to mean her any harm. "You…you want to see my fairies again?" She asked cautiously.

"Wah!" He nodded excitedly, liken to a child on the verge of receiving a new toy.

Orihime was at a loss for words as she had not expected to encounter such an innocent mind amongst the enemy's ranks. "Well, I...I suppose I could-"

"Enough!" Came the outraged bellow from above them as both she and the blonde youth looked up to see the same young man staring down on them with impatience and rage. His resentment for the situation was barely contained. "I'm not going to sit here while you attempt to infect our army with your disgusting human presence."

The young boy wrapped around her made a rather churlish and decisive noise of displeasure as he frowned at him.

"That's it!" Luppi snapped, infuriated beyond words. "I'm going to do Lord Aizen a favor and get rid of both of these nuisances once and for all!" He nearly screeched, pointing a finger directly at the two of them as Orihime remained tightly embraced in the stubborn youngster's arms.

"Just drop it already," Came the voice of their last comrade, who still remained partially hidden in the shadows. "You're getting all worked up over nothing." He frowned at Luppi as if he were the most disgusting thing he'd set eyes upon.

"Shut up, Grimmjow!" Luppi spat the words out vehemently and Orihime averted her eyes for a moment to examine the man. With blue hair and a missing arm, Orihime was beginning to wonder if missing appendages and uncommon features were commonplace amongst the army of these Arrancars. "You don't even hold rank anymore, you're nothing but pond water, so get lost." He said, his voice holding what Orihime very much believed to be false authority.

Grimmjow merely scoffed at this. After sticking his remaining hand in his pocket as he looked away, the man seemed not to bother concerning himself with the situation any longer.

"Hey, he's kinda right," Yammy interjected as he came to stand beside the girl. "I don't think Lord Aizen wants us to get rid of her just yet." He said while scratching the back of his head, as if trying to think very, very hard on the matter. "That is what we were told, right Ulquiorra?" He sent the question over his shoulder, only to scrunch his face up when there was no response. "…Ulquiorra?" He asked again when he all he heard in return was silence. When he turned to see that the man in question was gone, Yammy looked from one side to the other, searching for his missing comrade. "Hey, Ulquiorra!" He called again, his deep voice shooting through the cool night air and reverberating off the trees in heavy echoes that slowly died out in the distance.

"This is just priceless!" Luppi said, bursting into hysterical laughter and clutching at his sides as he tried to catch his breath. "Even Ulquiorra doesn't care what Lord Aizen thinks of her!" As his laughter subsided, his gaze landed squarely back on the girl sitting on the grass below, staring up at him with confusion and fear, wondering what she had done for him to despise her so much. "Now, I think it's about time we give this great power of yours a little _test_, girlie. What do you say?" His grin widened just enough to show a hint of madness behind a pair of lavender eyes that she would have normally thought beautiful.

"Hey, wait a minute, Luppi!" Yammy stepped forward as the brunette lifted his hand again, a cero forming at the tip of his finger. "I don't know if this is such a good idea. After all, Ulquiorra said-" He began, clearly unsure of what he should do about the situation.

"Ulquiorra isn't here, you idiot!" Yammy frowned through the insult as his fist began to clench with anger.

"What did you call me?" He ground out.

"An idiot!" Luppi barked. "Now, are you going to step out of the way and let me continue, or are we going to have a problem?"

"Heh, fine." Yammy grinned, surprising the smaller man as he moved away from Orihime and gave Luppi a clear shot. "She's all yours. Have fun dealing with Lord Aizen afterwards…asshole."

"Shut up!" Luppi yelled, visibly becoming increasingly frustrated by the second. "I've had enough of this crap, and I've had enough of looking at this wrench's face!" He finished and as the last syllable left his mouth, his cero flared for a split second, showing there was no hesitation or regret behind his actions. Orihime's eyes widened as she realized he was actually, truly going to fire at her.

"Wait, no!" She cried out to stop him. "You don't have to-"

When he launched the cero at her with a speed she had no chance of avoiding, Orihime froze as shock and disbelief washed over her.

_He did it…he actually shot at me!_ She repeated over and over again.

Thoughts and strategies of what she should do raced through her mind faster than she could process as instinct failed to kick in and call forth her protective shield.

Orihime let out a wail of panic as her eyes clenched shut, bracing for the pain. She heard the boy holding her make a strange noise as he tightened his grip for a split second before he abruptly released her and disappeared from her side. Orihime gasped in astonishment as she watched the youth reappear before her and deflect the cero with a single hand, swatting the blast of energy away as if it were nothing more than a troublesome insect - dirt and debris flew through the air in the distance as it collided with a large tree, exploding violently.

"Y-you…?" She said breathlessly, unable to believe what had just happened as she stared at the young boy standing before her like a shield. His long, loose sleeves fluttered for a few moments against the quick movement before settling at his sides.

"_Wonderweiss._" Luppi hissed.

The blonde made a single, curt noise of discontent as a frown stretched across his face while his reiatsu began to give off an unsettling amount of anger.

"Get out of my way." Luppi ground out and subsequently received no answer.

Without warning as to what was happening, the focus of everyone's attention shifted dramatically as a body suddenly dropped from the trees around them and connected with the ground with a loud _thunk_ that broke the heavy tension in the air, drawing the group's interest away from the situation at hand.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow snorted while he stared at the body that had landed not three yards from his feet, wondering what had just happened.

Suddenly there was chaos as a voice abruptly yelled out, "We've been spotted!" Orihime was at a loss as she watched shadows begin to fly from the tree line like a wave of darkness. Her eyes followed the figures as they shot into the air before zipping down to the ground, landing without a sound in a circular pattern around them to surround the group of Arrancar in a flash.

"_Shinigami!_" Luppi said sharply, quickly taking count of their foes.

"Now we're talking!" Grimmjow laughed, already advancing forward to make his move as his dry mood began blossoming back to life. "Nothing better to round off the day than a few dead Shinigami."

"Onmitsukido, to be more precise." Ulquiorra stated as he appeared beside the lifeless body that had fallen to the ground just moments prior, a clear testament as the one to have put it there. "Your presence here has caused more trouble than it is worth." He said lifelessly while staring out at the mass of dark shapes closing in on them, listening as their commander, a large, partially bald man that stood out amongst his smaller, slimmer comrades, barked out orders to different sections of his squad.

"Keh, like I care about getting caught." The blue haired man smirked, eyeing his enemy and completely disregarding the fact that he and the others had quite possibly brought about a major kink in Aizen's carefully laid out plan. "Are they any good?" He sneered as he took a step forward and considered jumping straight into the fight without waiting for his answer.

Ulquiorra was silent for a moment, his eyes scouring over each and every member of the special task force set out before him.

"…they're trash." He said, closing his eyes and losing interest. "All of them."

"Oh well," Grimmjow said with mock contrite and shrugged his good shoulder upwards to loosen up his neck. "I'm sure they'll be at least a little entertaining." Just as he was about to jump into battle, the large man leading the opposition's group stepped forward, proudly jutting his chest out as he decided it was time to formally announce their presence.

"This is an official neutral zone instated by Central 46 itself. Arrancar are not permitted to enter the mortal realm under any circumstances under the ninth clause of the Winter Wartime Act." He stated with a loud, obnoxious voice. "Arrancar, you are to surrender at once and come with us, where you will be taken back to Soul Society to receive a fair trial and receive fair judgme-"

"God, just shut up already!" Grimmjow bemoaned, unable to stand listening to such bullshit any longer.

"Wh-what did you say?!" Their composed leader immediately lost his cool façade and clenched his fist to wave it at the blue haired man in an unrefined, surly fashion.

"I said, 'God, just shut up already!'" Grimmjow repeated. "What are you bald and deaf, too? I'm sure it's bad enough just being a fatass, but damn, all three?" He whistled lowly, as if he found it to be a greatly impressive feat.

"You little punk!" The man retaliated. His face turned bright red with anger as he went to step forward, only to have one of his subordinates quickly place a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. The man heaved out a ragged breath of frustration, putting a reign on his temper for the time being as he tried to put duty first. "State your business here, Arrancar."

"Business?" Grimmjow echoed. "Why would I want to tell some strange bald guy all of my business?" He smiled, knowing his taunts were easily getting through to the man who seemed to be of less than average intelligence.

"Why you…" The Shinigami clenched his jaw, his face turning redder and redder with each passing second.

"Who the hell are you, anyways?" Grimmjow asked, baiting the man further. "I'm sure I haven't seen you in the Shinigami ranks before. After all, it'd be too damn hard to forget a face like that if I ever saw one."

As if to prove all his insults wrong, the man before him straightened his posture and thrust his chin out as he proudly answered, "I'm Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda, Vice Captain to Captain Soifon of the Second Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad. Corps Commander to the Onmitsukido Patrol of the Sec-"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it already," Grimmjow interrupted, barely able to stand the arrogant man's voice much longer. "No need to rant about yourself like a total dickwad…" He muttered to himself while lazily scratching at the back of his ear with his pinky.

"That does it!" Omaeda bellowed, his fury exploding like a volcano. "By the time I'm through with you, you'll be begging me to send your pathetic ass to hell! Do you hear me, Hollow?" He said, pulling his Zanpakuto from his side and immediately called forth his shikai.

"Sounds like fun." He answered darkly and leveled the man with a wicked smirk. "Looks like you guys may be more interesting than I originally thought."

"Grimmjow," The quiet voice of Ulquiorra cut in before he could advance on their enemy, coming to stand beside him in a few short steps.

"What?" He snapped in reply and rounded on the shorter man with a glare in his blue eyes, the last thing he wanted to hear right now was one of his lectures.

"…make this fast. We don't have all night."

Grimmjow blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly. Had Ulquiorra just given him the go ahead to fight? So often did he only hear 'don't do this' or 'don't do that' from the smaller man's mouth that he contemplated arguing back, just for the sake of arguing. Grimmjow narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What the hell's going on here, Ulquiorra?" He asked skeptically. "You don't give a shit about stuff like this unless you've got something to gain from it. What's your angle?"

"There is no angle, Grimmjow," He said patiently and closed his eyes to the defensive look the blue haired man was currently giving him. "But if you do not start paying attention to what's going on around you, you will be missing more than just an arm."

"Wha?" He began, only to be cut off by a long, drawn out battle cry erupting from Omaeda as he launched himself forward, charging the unguarded man. "Shit!" Grimmjow cursed, just barely dodging the large, spiked ball that slammed into the ground where he had been standing.

"Take this, you blue haired bastard!" The Vice Captain wailed, readying Gegetsuburi for another strike as he leapt from the ground and followed Grimmjow into the air, past the tree line.

"Heh, now that's more like it!" Grimmjow smirked, quickly forgetting any of the conversation he had been engaged in, ready to take every ounce of his pent up aggression out on the overconfident fool.

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Orihime watched in stunned silence as chaos erupted around her like a tidal wave. The moment Lieutenant Omaeda launched his attack at Grimmjow, his masked troops followed suit, appearing behind herself and the others like phantom apparitions. The ground shook as an explosion rocked through the background, while only moments later she could see the smoke plume rise into the air from her crouched position beside her unexpected guardian.

Orihime pushed herself to her feet, unsure of what she should be doing in the midst of such a crisis. Something inside her wanted to stay and aid the Shinigami, and when a horrible image of the nameless Shinigami escorts that had nearly been slaughtered on her account in the senkaimon came to mind, it only served to remind her that they deserved her help. She didn't want to see anyone else get hurt, too many had already been injured in the span of these past twelve hours, let alone the past several months. However, logic told her to run, to seize the chance and get out of the hole she'd dug around herself like a grave.

Before she could make her choice, Wonderweiss jerked his head up, making a noise of droll curiosity. Immediately following his gaze, she looked up to see a masked figure coming down on her with deadly killing intent, his body was in an offensive posture with hands fixed and ready to strike. Orihime gasped and reflexively called forth her shield. "Santen Kesshun!" She cried hastily, trying to process the fact that a Shinigami was attacking her.

As the soft, golden ambience of her shield illuminated the area around her, the man's eyes quickly widened in shock as he abandoned his attack at the last moment, bewilderment registering behind the little sliver of flesh his mask didn't cover.

"You…!" She heard him intone as he landed in front of her, lowering his guard as something seemed to sink in. "You're that girl! What are you doing he-" He didn't even get to finish his words as a massive fist crashed down on the unguarded soldier without warning.

Orihime flinched as blood splattered all over her face and clothes.

It was hot and thick and left surprisingly burning trails down her cheeks, silencing everything with death.

She froze instantly as an indescribably foreign and sickening fear welled up inside of her at the gruesome sight, staring ahead, unblinking like a porcelain figurine.

Something inside her chest jerked painfully, squeezing like a creature as she felt her throat constrict and gag. Below, she felt moisture begin to soak through her shoes and she didn't need to look down to know it was the pool of blood spreading forth from the mess that was being ground into the earth by Yammy's unforgiving fist. She wanted to scream at him to stop, she wanted to put a stop to all of this wretched violence.

A roar of pain and anger split through the night air as one of the man's comrades flew into a rage, speeding towards Yammy with determined eyes as he scored a powerful roundhouse kick straight to the man's gut.

Orihime felt tears welling up within her eyes as she witnessed his attempt at vengeance do little more than push the Arrancar's feet a few measly inches back in the dirt. "You…I'll kill you!" He proclaimed as Yammy began laughing.

"I'd like to see you try!" Yammy replied before backhanding his opponent hard. It had sent him flying into a nearby tree, snapping the trunk in half with the force of his impact as the special ops member's body fell to the ground, lifeless and limp.

Orihime turned, intending to run from the violent scene playing out before her. She had to get help, she had to call for help. Surely if she screamed someone would come running…Ichigo always came running.

She gasped as she abruptly came face to face with the same blonde Arrancar that had remained by her side through most of their meeting. He was making noises and gesturing towards her hairpins again, intent on persuading her to use them as he apparently found some intense interest in them and remained completely ignorant to the disorder around him. She didn't know exactly how this particular boy would react if she tried to rebuff his attempts and escape, would he become violent with her?

When the heavy body of the mission commander suddenly landed on the ground to her beside her, bested at the hand of Grimmjow, Orihime looked up to see the last Shinigami fall at Luppi's feet…it had been a massacre. No one was left alive. No one was left to save her.

A low, pained groan rumbled out from the crumpled form of Vice Captain Omaeda and pulled her attention away from the bloody landscape around her. Omaeda slowly blinked a few times, using the last ounces of his strength to try and push himself up, only to fail. Orihime stepped forward, ready to call on her Soten Kisshun to heal him. If only she could save one, just one...

When Omaeda gained enough strength to pull his face from the dirt, he looked up to see her figure approaching him, his eyes squinted in bleary confusion before recognition, similar to what had been on his comrades face, began to appear.

"Aren't you…" He began weakly as it finally sank it. "You're one Kurosaki's friends!" He stated in shock. "Wh-what are you doing here, you idiot! Run, go on, get out of here!" He urged as he once again tried to regain his strength, only to fall shakily back onto his chest as his arms completely gave out.

When Orihime began to take another step towards the man, she instantly stopped as a severe, grim shadow appeared behind the prone form of Omaeda, slowly edging closer to the bleeding man. She watched as the shadows melted into the form of the pale Arrancar as he came to a halt just inches behind the oblivious Shinigami, standing over him like a picture of something horrific and terrible, still and quiet with his death-like gruesome stare. She could read his eyes as they locked with hers…dangerous and daunting as they spoke to her loud and clear;

If she helped him, _he would kill him_.

Orihime bit into tongue nervously, already knowing she was defeated by those piercing eyes that needn't say a word to subdue her. Warning her to keep her end of the bargain lest she wished to watch the man be slaughtered at his hand.

"Why…why aren't you running?!" He exclaimed when she made no move to retreat or advance to assist him. When Grimmjow suddenly appeared at her side, smirking like the devil himself, Omaeda gasped in astonishment as realization sank into his bruised and battered head. "_You_…you traitor!" He suddenly hissed nastily, causing Orihime to recoil as if she were wounded, the words stinging painfully like barbed wire wrapping around her heart.

When Omaeda began coughing violently and hacking up a hefty amount of blood before abruptly passing out, Grimmjow laughed and stepped towards him, ready to finish him off. "Looks like this guy was all talk and no action." He sneered, greatly disappointed with the short, uneventful fight that had occurred between them. "Almost makes me not want to take the time to kill him." When Grimmjow reached down to deliver the final blow, a pale hand suddenly shot out, gripping his wrist and stopping him from continuing.

Grimmjow's blue eyes shot up in a flash, glaring into detached green ones that stared back at him with vapid indifference.

"Let go of my arm, Ulquiorra." Grimmjow growled viciously, trying to keep his cool.

After several seconds of tense silence, Ulquiorra blinked for what seemed like the first time and looked away, releasing the man's arm as he turned from the them and buried his hands in his pockets. "Leave him be, he needs to remain alive."

"The hell he does," Grimmjow protested, his seething rage showing through in the animalistic way he bared his frighteningly sharp teeth. "He's _my_ opponent, I get to say what happens to him."

Ulquiorra glanced at the blue haired man from over his shoulder, quickly sizing up his body's incomplete state of being. "You will leave him alive," He repeated. "Unless you feel the need to confront me in that less than adequate state you're in, I suggest you do as you're told." He finished evenly with not a hint of life in his voice.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because he is going to be the messenger to relay the news that Orihime Inoue has betrayed them."

Orihime gasped as the weight of that statement sunk in, one horrible word at a time. _Relay_. _Orihime_. _Betrayed_. They repeated in her mind over and over again until she was certain that sentence would be ingrained in her memory forever. It would be the moment she'd never forget, when she finally realized just exactly what it was she had gotten herself into.

"You…you lied to me!" She suddenly cried out, directing all of her anger and pain onto him. "You tricked me!" She wailed again as Ulquiorra leveled his green eyed gaze at her.

"Did I?" He replied quietly.

"You promised me you wouldn't hurt my friends if I came with you, not betray everyone I've ever cared for!" She said shakily and her eyes began to water as it truly sank in that she'd fallen straight into his webbed trap. "I'll never turn traitor, _never_!"

"Oh?" He said slowly as he casually approached her. "As I recall, I kept my end of the bargain. However, if I'm not mistaken…" He intoned with an empty softness. "You were the one who wondered aimlessly about the living world for hours on end, not even bothering to contact a single authority on the matter." Orihime's lips parted on a breath as she realized what he was saying, what she had unintentionally done. "You even have two Shinigami living in your own home, one of which is Captain level status, am I wrong?"

"You're horrible…" She said breathily as tears slid down her cheeks, blurring her vision of the man standing before her.

"Think what you want," He replied. "I fulfilled my promise. You were the one naïve enough to trust your enemy." He turned then, ready to walk away. Uncaring for the tears in her eyes. "Come, you've kept Lord Aizen waiting long enough already."

"I refuse."

He seemed to pause.

"What did you say?" He asked, piercing her with his gaze once again in a manner that told her he wasn't used to being disobeyed.

"I refuse." She repeated more firmly. "I won't go, I'm not leaving with you."

Ulquiorra was silent for a moment longer, gauging whether he believed her to be serious or not, whether she was simply trying to put on a defiant front for the sake of causing him more trouble than she was worth. When he saw her resolute gaze and realized she had meant what she said, it became clear that more drastic measures may be in order. "Need I remind you of the deal we made, Orihime Inoue?" He answered her determination with calm, calculating coldness. His eyes narrowed and she could see the threat in them, chilling her to the bone and coiling around her like a predator ready to devour her without mercy. "Or are you going to force me to go back on my word, as well?"

"You wouldn't!" She suddenly cried with a desperate plea and took a shaky step towards him as her hands began to tremble in fear; fear for what he would do to her precious friends. Her eyes begged him not to harm them. Letting him know that she would do anything for them…anything he said.

"You have already done a splendid job in leading us straight to Kurosaki Ichigo and his family...shall I pay them a visit, as well?"

Orihime's heart leapt up to her throat when she heard the callous warning and she listened as his voice carried on the night breeze until she could have sworn she felt his breath against her ear. "That…that was a private moment." She whispered, realizing that he had been aware of her every move, every word and every breath since this morning.

"Woman," He said quietly as he stepped closer, too close for Orihime to feel safe as she could read it in his otherworldly eyes that he was beginning to become very, very tired of her emotional antics. "The moment you said yes to me," He leaned closer, his mouth a nudge away from her ear. "You had no privacy." Orihime swallowed as his voice sent tremors through her body in a strange way, wrapping around her heart with his cold, white fingers. "You have no freedom, no rights, and no friends. You have nothing, Orihime Inoue. You...belong to us." He finished and Orihime, too stunned to take notice, barely acknowledged him removing himself from her personal space, turning from her and walking away towards the still open garganta as she stared blankly into the night.

"Yammy," He called out. "Grab the girl and don't drop her. She is incapable of creating her own path inside the garganta." And then he disappeared into the void, leaving her behind as his comrade swooped her up without question, pinning her arms to her sides in his hand that seemed too large to be real. Orihime nearly recoiled into herself as she felt the blood coating his palm soak through her uniform, sending a sickening discomfort to hang in the pit of her stomach.

They moved past a stubbornly silent Grimmjow and a glaring Luppi who hadn't stopped sending her nasty looks and spiteful sneers as Wonderweiss followed beside her, making those unintelligible noises and trying to keep up with her person as Yammy handled her with all the finesse of a child swinging a rag doll at his side.

Orihime closed her eyes as she felt the harsh sting of fresh tears pricking at her lashes. She pursed her lips and crinkled her chin, trying to stop the uncontrollable trembling washing over her. This wasn't what she had wanted at all…she was supposed to sacrifice herself for the greater good. Not betray everything she'd ever stood for.

_I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…_ She repeated over and over again to herself when horrible images started coming to mind as she foresaw what the dawn held for both her and her friends. Her friends that she had been willing to die for, learning that she had betrayed them, leaving them behind for a foe intent on the worst kind of destruction.

"Damn it, cut it out, twerp!" Yammy snapped irritably, swatting the young blonde away from him as he continued to pester and prod at Orihime. "You're getting on my nerves."

Orihime's eyes slowly slid back open, feeling void of hope. A freckled face with innocent violet eyes came into view as she hung from Yammy's hand like the lifeless body she felt she was, barely registering the naively inquisitive gaze of the blonde boy following along beside her like a lamb.

She felt the change in reishi around her as they entered the garganta, leaving behind her home…her life.

_You belong to us…_His voice repeated over and over in her head, his cold eyes coming to mind.

Her long hair swooshed about her face, her bangs obscuring her view as she watched the garganta close behind them, cutting her off from everything she had ever loved.

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TBC

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**For anyone wondering, this is going to be a canon-esque fic. Meaning it's going to follow the same overall plot, timeline and such of Bleach, but certain scenes and events may be revised or even switched around for the sake of the story. It will contain mature content(come on, it's me, of course it will) as well as many other things I hope UlquiHime fans will enjoy.**

**Stick around for the rest!**

…**and, yes, in case it wasn't obvious, the title is an analogy to Ulquiorra. **


	2. Chapter 2

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CHAPTER 2

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Hueco Mundo was nothing like she had expected it to be, and neither was Las Noches. Simply walking up to the massive structure was enough to awe her, with ceilings that reached on towards forever and halls that seemed to lead nowhere, it was certainly something to behold. The quiet was deafening, making her nervous and edgy while the soft tapping echoes of their footfalls kept her ears strangely alert to any foreign noises around her. It was nothing quite like she had seen before. Even Soul Society held no comparison, where it seemed one would get lost if a single wrong turn was made. While here she felt that if she simply stared down the blanched halls for too long she would be left disoriented.

It was spellbinding and, had it not been for the circumstance she now found herself in, she would have found the place rather enchanting.

At the moment, however, she felt far from enchanted. It was cold here. Like dry ice, it looked frigid and bleak, but touch it and you would get burned. It was a thick chill that sank deep into her bones with a strange bitterness that hung in the air. That dryness only enhanced the coldness, a coldness that had less to do with the temperature and more to do with the unpleasant environment. This place was almost extraterrestrial, it was so surreal that it left her hard pressed for words to describe it, let alone take in the magnitude of the fortress.

Orihime glanced at the back of the pale Arrancar ahead of her. With a distinct sense of unease, she wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill and hurried her pace slightly to catch up with him. She could practically feel the stares of the three men behind her, making her even more uncomfortable than she already was as the blonde youth had yet to leave her side. She was surrounded by the enemy - in their territory no less - and as much as she wanted to turn around and ask them to kindly look elsewhere but at her person, she knew that would only lead to more trouble.

Most prominent of all amongst those unabashed stares at her back were those of the small, short haired boy who seemed to hold a grave dislike for her. She could sense that, as the other gazes had remained mostly curious and slightly guarded, his had changed from spiteful hatred to occasional leering and finally to outright ogling. Just as his gaze had changed over the minutes, so had his dialogue.

"Hn, for as much of a useless waste of air that you are…you actually have one hell of a righteous body," He said smoothly, brushing a lock of hair from his brow.

Orihime made a noise of unease in the back of her throat as she blushed profusely and tried to keep her hands from reaching around to cover herself. She could feel his eyes, just as easily as any physical contact, openly gawking at certain parts of her backside.

"You know…" His words trailed off and Orihime could tell by the tone of his voice that things she'd rather not think about were going to come out of his mouth. "You might not be so worthless after all. With an ass like that, I'll bet you're one hell of a fuck." Orihime jerked her head around, giving him a vicious glare over her shoulder. He only smirked back at her. "Get as mad as you want, gorgeous, all I have to do is ask Lord Aizen and you'll be all mine." He licked his lips slowly, taking his time to let his eyes roam back over her body.

Orihime snapped her head back around, unable to look at him a moment longer. She tried to keep her frown in place, but his words were making her nervous and slightly ill.

"Could you possibly get any more disgusting?" Grimmjow scoffed from beside him. Looking as if he were in another world, Orihime hadn't been aware he was even paying attention to the younger man's banter.

"What was that, Grimmjow?" Luppi replied defensively. "Talking back to a superior? Seems like you have more balls then brains, you unrefined brute!" He hissed. Grimmjow mumbled something to himself that neither of them could quite make out, the action only urging Luppi to continue on with his attempt at asserting his dominance through insults and more posturing.

"You actually think Lord Aizen will give her to a creep like you?" Grimmjow nearly scoffed again as they continued to move down the seemingly endless hall. He looked away, barely restraining an eye roll before placing his hand back into his pocket.

"Big talk from an ex-Espada who's incapable of keeping his own body parts intact." He said, putting extra stress on Grimmjow's relegated status. "I'm sure women are just flocking to you in droves now that you've been demoted to such a pitiful state, Grimmjow." He jeered arrogantly, keeping his voice relatively calm as his eyes narrowed in on the taller man. "Remember that tonight, when I'm the one tearing up our new pet over there in _your_ old bed." He said with harsh enthusiasm, causing Orihime to flinch as she tried to completely tune out the entire conversation.

Orihime picked up her pace again in an attempt to put some distance between herself and them, keeping her eyes on her feet as she occasionally glanced back in trepidation.

Grimmjow chuckled at the young man's comment, capturing Orihime's attention before she had a chance to remind herself it would be best if she paid them no mind at all. She watched the blue haired man grin. It was a wide, wild smirk that only extenuated the feral qualities of his handsome face. "I don't need to force a broad just to have a good time, you little cocksucker. When a bitch sits on my dick...I make sure she likes it." Grimmjow laughed as he looked down on the younger man with an egotistic taunt in his eyes, daring him to try something.

"Fuck off, Grimmjow!" Luppi replied, clearly getting flustered by the insinuation.

"Keh, if you're so lacking that you can't even get a whore to fuck you willingly, then you must be a bigger douche than I thought." Grimmjow smirked before suddenly raising his eyes to Orihime's, catching her off guard as she stared at them over her shoulder whilst she unintentionally eavesdropped. There was a strange look in them as he brazenly kept eye contact with her, and it made her blush harder as the implications of what they had been talking about bounced around her brain before settling in.

Orihime blinked, quickly averting her eyes back to the path before her and down to her shoes, still not watching where she was going.

"_Oh_!" She gasped as she suddenly ran straight into something solid. With her hands immediately reaching up to right herself, Orihime looked up, instantly freezing when she realized she had bumped into the back of the quiet Arrancar in front of her. She felt tongue tied as she watched him slowly turn his head, observing her from the corner of his eye.

"Oh my goodness...I-I'm very sorry. I hadn't realized you had stopped! I just...I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't mean to- I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" She asked hurriedly, staring into his eyes that had yet to leave her own. He was silent for a short moment before his emerald green eyes, just as slowly, lowered to where their bodies were still connected, she was pressed against his back, with her hand grasping onto the back of his arm while the other gently touched his shoulder blade.

"Oh!" She nearly yelped in shock again, quickly removing herself from his person when she realized she had failed to do so prior. "S...sorry." She apologized softly, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Luppi, Grimmjow," He said quietly, promptly taking his penetrating eyes off her after she'd taken another small step back. "Go have your wounds tended to in the infirmary. You have half an hour before we report to Lord Aizen." He ordered.

"Wounds?" Luppi said. "Don't make me laugh, I'm perfectly fine. As if I would need such treatment." He finished dismissively.

Ulquiorra didn't even take the time to look him over before speaking again. "What you do with your wellbeing is your own business. However, you took a direct attack from a Captain level Shinigami. If you prefer to go before Lord Aizen looking like a mangy derelict, then I suggest you reconsider your decision." He finished evenly, and Orihime heard Grimmjow sniggering in the background, laughing at the indirect jab.

"I have an even better idea," Luppi replied, eager to change the topic from his poor accomplishments to their new prisoner, someone who was weaker and more vulnerable. "Why don't we let the little wretch heal me if she's so damned powerful?" He made the suggestion with an antagonizing tone, as if he were trying to challenge her in some way. "I've yet to see anything impressive about her, so far. If she's so important to Lord Aizen, then I want to see what we were fighting for!" Orihime tried to stand her ground as his eyes landed on her again, daring her to object to him.

"No." Ulquiorra answered before she even had time to think about it.

"And why not?" He immediately snapped in irritation, his temper seeming to go from one high to another without warning. "You may have been the leader of this mission, Ulquiorra, but you're not the leader of the entire lot of Espada."

"My standing in Las Noches has nothing to do with it," He answered steadily, his eyes sliding over to examine Orihime with deliberate intimidation. "She belongs to Lord Aizen and he alone. Her powers, her mind, her body, all of it." Orihime swallowed as she listened to him talk, suddenly realizing she was the center of everyone's attention. "Woman," He called and she immediately looked up. "Do you understand this? From here on out you will never use your powers under any circumstance unless Lord Aizen wishes it of you, even at the cost of your own life. You are nothing but property now, and he owns you." He said. "You and all of your abilities are his."

The thought of ever agreeing to such things made her feel disgusted and nauseated. But deep inside, the only thoughts going through her mind were of her friends. She was worried for them, afraid of what these people would do if they went back on their word. What would happen if they came to retrieve her or if they might be attacked before they could even try? If nodding and agreeing to such a horrendous proposition was all she had to do, essentially becoming a slave to the throne, it was a sacrifice she was more than willing to make. Orihime squeezed her arms tighter around herself before giving a shallow nod. "I...y-yes." She agreed reluctantly.

With her admittance, he looked away, back to the other parties present. "Both of you, go. You're wasting time."

Luppi continued to scowl at him for a brief moment before finally conceding and moving past them. He paused just as he approached Orihime, stopping to intimidate her once more with his scorching lavender eyes. "I'll get my hands on you soon enough..._girl_." He said quietly before moving on, continuing past them down the hall. Orihime stared after him, feeling too distrustful of the boy to turn her back on him even when he was already out of sight.

"I wouldn't worry too much about him," Grimmjow suddenly said from behind her, nearly making her jump upon realizing he was so close. "That boy's as gay as a rainbow, anyways." His words trailed off as he sauntered around her and headed off toward the same direction the other man had gone. "Why the hell do you think he tries so hard to make all those perverted jeers, eh? He's about as straight as a circle." He tossed the comment over his shoulder offhandedly and Orihime was a little surprised that he had bothered to say anything at all.

As lewd as all his remarks were, and besides the fact that she didn't think she'd heard as much foul language in her entire life than she had in the past hour...it did help to ease some of her worries, if only minutely. Though, she had a feeling he hadn't spoken such things for the sake of easing her mind, rather, it seemed it was more of an attempt at gaining an unlikely ally against a common adversary.

"Yammy," Ulquiorra said, gaining the attention of the larger man. "Make sure they're at the meeting in time." He ordered, as sending the man after them was the best way to ensure they did not start any unwanted behaviors around one another that would cause further delay. Without complaint, Yammy nodded and turned to follow after the two men who had just disappeared around a distant corner.

Orihime stood, staring, as the last of them slowly blurred into the blinding white halls of Las Noches. A tug on her arm snapped her back to attention. She looked down into the violet eyes of the blonde haired boy who had stayed by her side as he lifted his hand from her arm and pointed behind her. Orihime turned to see the pale Arrancar walking away from her, heading in the opposite direction the others had gone. The boy tugged at her arm again and without thought she followed.

It only seemed as if a short time had passed before they came to a halt at what seemed to be a convergence of ten separate halls merging into one vast, open space where an eleventh hall split forth from the junction, leading down a shorter passage that ended in a large, arched doorway that stretched from floor to ceiling. Orihime gazed in awe at the massive structure, wondering how such an immense pair of doors were ever constructed. They looked like the gates to another dimension, such were their magnitude.

Orihime glanced back to see her escort leaning against the lip of the hall they had just emerged from. His eyes were closed and his hands rested in his pockets once more. He looked as if he were asleep. Orihime cleared her throat.

"So…" She said, tapping her nails together nervously. With the constant clicking of her nails echoing loudly off the walls in such a quiet place, she quickly grew tired of it and hastily pulled her hands apart to clasp them behind her back. "Are we just going to wait here?" She asked hesitantly.

He didn't answer.

After several more moments of silence, Orihime cautiously made her way to the other side of the hall to lean against the wall opposite of him, standing face to face. Releasing a deep sigh, she slowly let herself slide down the ashen wall. With a weariness that crept upon her with frightening suddenness, she wrapped her arms around her legs, bringing them together to rest her forehead upon her knees as she completely gave up on even bothering to converse with the stoic man.

Why did they even want her? What was going to happen to her here? What exactly did they plan to do with a teenage human girl?

Before she could get anywhere with her thoughts, she yelped in shock as she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and a solid body squeezing itself between her knees. Jerking her head upright in shock, Orihime stared in disbelief as the young blonde wormed his way into her space, wrapping himself up in her. Before she could even protest, he'd locked his arms behind her back and laid his head upon her chest in much the same manner he had before.

Her mouth opened, but words seemed to fail her.

"Um…" She began as she looked up to the man standing across from her. "E-excuse me?" She said, trying to grab his attention and, of course, failing. Orihime sighed again, wondering if she should just try to remove the boy on her own. Before she could begin to try, she paused when something touched her wrist.

She watched as he lifted her hand, running his fingers over the soft lines around the crevices of her knuckles, causing her to blush at not only the awkward position they were in, but his intimate behavior as he familiarized himself with her apparently fascinating hand. When he pressed his palm to hers with a gentle curiosity, something inside of her softened.

With a tender smile, she pressed back, earning a noise of wonderment from the boy. "I'm Orihime Inoue. What's your name?" She asked kindly, her good manners kicking in. It took him some time before he was finally able to stutter out an answer.

"Won...wonder-"He'd paused to regroup his efforts. "Wonder...weiss." He said quietly, and Orihime could tell it had been quite an endeavor putting each of those syllables together. She nodded in approval.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Wonderweiss-san." She smiled again. Running with the moment, she looked up with renewed light in her eyes as she asked, "And what's your name?" She inquired of the other man. Orihime almost instantly deflated when he completely and deliberately ignored her without so much as a twitch to acknowledge she'd said anything in the first place. With a faint sigh, she glanced over into the white haziness of the halls with brown eyes that slowly faded into a blind stare. "I know what you're thinking," She began with a good natured shrug as she broke the stare to look down and play distractedly with a tiny pebble on the floor. "I should have figured it out already, I'm sure one of your friends have already mentioned it." She said, twirling the small rock under her finger and wondering why she was bothering with talking to herself when he didn't seem to care to listen. "But things have been a bit distracting," She continued quietly as she flicked the pebble away, watching it bounce off in the distance. "...it's hard to concentrate on any one name."

After several more moments of silence, Orihime chanced another glance back up to examine the man standing as still as a statue across from her. Pondering over why he was so intent on ignoring her. Perhaps she'd offended him? She wondered if she should apologize to him for how she had spoken to him earlier...language like that wasn't like her, it wasn't in her nature. Logic told her no apologies were necessary, after all, he'd lied to her and kidnapped her and tricked her into betraying the people she loved.

Still, she wasn't one to hold a grudge. War was war, people did terrible things and nothing was going to change that. Just because someone may wrong you with one misdeed did not mean it should be returned with another. And besides that fact, good etiquette was so heavily inscribed into her being it just felt so...abnormal not to say anything, let alone to have said something so hurtful in the first place. She was going mad with the silence, it was nerve wracking, especially when she had no clue what they wanted from her and the only two people around her were either incapable of speech or unwilling to even speak at all.

"I..." She began, but immediately stopped when an uncomfortable knot formed in her throat. She swallowed hard, trying to rid herself of the tension in her body and glanced up to his face, wondering why he wouldn't acknowledge her. Perhaps she truly had upset him when they were still in the living world. Unless...was he actually asleep? Something told her that was the last thing this man would ever want to do around her, but believing it made her feel a little less snubbed by his nonchalance towards her attempts at conversation.

When she felt Wonderweiss start to drift off to sleep against her chest, her eyes slowly returned to the other man as her curious gaze ran down his face, from the extreme paleness of his skin, to the black of his hair, the shocking eyes currently hidden beneath thick lashes and even the devilish horn of his mask. There was an...unnatural beauty about him. Different from the loveliness that one would usually imagine when gazing upon something 'beautiful'. There was something distinctly corpse like about him that was at once disturbing and striking, something intangible and indefinable. All of the men she had seen here thus far were strange and exotic looking. Even the larger one, who was less attractive than the rest, would still stand out as something radical amongst a group of her peers with his unusual features.

Without much thought, her eyes slowly drifted lower, across his chest and arms. He was thin and lean. He looked weak and defenseless, someone who wouldn't be a threat to a fly, even on his best day. But when she looked a bit lower, Orihime noticed a small section just below his jacket where a thin sliver of pale flesh exposed his midriff, revealing taut skin stretched tight over hard, defined muscle. Orihime bit her lip inquisitively, wondering if he was as weak as he looked.

Like a warning signal from her brain, an uncomfortable feeling crawled down her spine just then and she looked up to realize he was glaring at her with sharp, narrowed eyes. Orihime immediately turned her head away, completely mortified that she had been caught staring at him in such an inappropriate manner. She bit her lip harder and could swear she felt heat creeping up her neck. No doubt she was as red as a tomato.

Quickly putting to use diversion tactics, Orihime tried to steer the tone of the atmosphere elsewhere and gave in to trying conversation again, hoping for better results now that she had his attention. "I...I'm really sorry about earlier," She said softly, still feeling uneasy around him. "...for calling you horrible. I didn't mean it." She admitted slowly, sinking into herself as much as a person could with another body pressed against her own. "I just wanted you to know." When he didn't answer, she smiled to herself, wondering what it was going to take to get him to talk.

That smile quickly faded as she began thinking less about the man before her and more about her dire situation. "It's funny, isn't it," She thought aloud, looking up to meet his eyes. She could still see herself in them, reflecting back like a perfect mirror. He remained silent, his eyes focused and alert with an unspoken vigilance. Calm and still. "...that someone as supposedly powerful as Aizen Sosuke would want to go out of his way to get his hands on someone like me."

Orihime gave a hushed sigh as her eyes drifted without destination and her fingers ran over the soft blonde hair of the boy nodding off to sleep against her chest. "What do I have that he could ever want?" She spoke quietly, voicing the question more to herself than him. There was no response and she hadn't expected one, either. She knew she was just talking to herself. She tried to smile again at the thought, but it wasn't quite there. She felt hollow and empty.

"What don't you have?" He answered belatedly.

Orihime's eyes snapped back up to his, her lips parting softly as she took in his words, wondering if she had heard correctly. As she continued to stare, she felt warmth rapidly heating her cheeks and she fought the blush she knew was already starting to show, doubtful that he truly meant it as a compliment or if it was just a ploy to keep her from talking. "What is he going to do with me?" She asked after several seconds, trying to keep the distress from her voice. It was a question that held weight to her. It was a desperate plea for reassurance that Aizen wouldn't harm her, kill her, or send her to any unsavory characters that would only seek to torment her mercilessly. It was an inquiry from a frightened girl into what the future held for her here in this alien world.

She met his unblinking gaze evenly, her chocolate eyes peering into his. It seemed like so much time had passed before he looked way, gazing toward one of the faces of the ten halls that emptied out into the lobby-like room around them.

"Probably nothing...so long as you do as you're told." He finally answered, pushing himself from the wall to walk into the large foyer that led to the oversized double doors across from them. "Come, the others are on their way." He ordered.

Orihime nudged Wonderweiss's shoulder, urging him to wake up without much success.

"It's Ulquiorra." He said suddenly.

Orihime glanced up, unsure as she watched him pause, if only briefly, a few feet ahead of her.

"My name...it's Ulquiorra Cifer." He said quietly before moving on, an unspoken command for her to follow.

She opened her mouth to say something, a little stunned that he had so randomly decided to open up to her, and to realize he'd been listening to her aimless chatter the entire time. Wonderweiss stirred against her, stopping her from voicing any of her thoughts. He looked up and saw Ulquiorra moving away from them and without any hesitation, the boy got up and followed after him as if he hadn't been asleep in the first place.

Not wanting to be left behind, Orihime brushed her skirt off and hurried her steps to catch up. When they arrived at the pair of doors at the end of the eleventh hall, she looked back to see the three men from before approaching them as a loud, heavy creaking noise filled the air around them. Her attention quickly returned to the larger than life doorway before her as they slowly began to separate, opening to reveal a considerably spacious and grandiose throne room, void of anything but the blinding whiteness that followed her through every twist and turn of this maze-like place.

The three men walked past her, Wonderweiss joining them, as they made their way into the room. Orihime fiddled with the hem of her shirt as she waited beside Ulquiorra, unsure if she should follow them or stay put next to him. Deciding on the latter, she looked past the small group that had just stepped over the threshold to examine the contents of the barren room. She could see little more than pillars and an elevated platform upon which sat a throne.

Orihime's eyes widened as she saw the figure seated upon the upraised seat.

_Is that…? _

Ulquiorra stood silently as she waited by his side, watching the men lining up in a less than orderly fashion before their leader to give their reports and observations. She felt her fingers trembling when she tried to nervously straighten her sweater and could do no more than blame it on the cold of this place in an attempt to distract herself from the fear welling up inside her stomach. It was several minutes later, minutes that had felt like hours, before Ulquiorra spoke up after Aizen made a nearly indiscernible motion with his hand.

"Come," He said, leading her further into the room before taking a place in line with his comrades. Orihime trailed far behind, unwilling to put herself closer than necessary to the tyrant.

"Ah, welcome," Came a smooth, congenial voice, calling her attention to the man reclining in his regal throne. "This is our palace," He said, his face the very picture of debonair etiquette. "...Las Noches." She stood rooted to her spot, staring up at the man who held her fate in the palm of his hand. "Orihime Inoue - that is your name, correct?" He asked.

"Yes," She answered in a small voice, giving a shallow nod of her head.

"Sorry to ask this of you so soon, Orihime," He continued, pinning her with his sharp, brown eyes. Orihime felt every ounce of air suddenly leave her body, her strength draining and her reiatsu acting strangely as he continued to watch her carefully. "But could you…show me your power?"

"Y…yes…"She finally managed to reply. Her mind reeled with the fact that he had somehow caused these extraordinary side effects. Abruptly, they ended as quickly as they had begun the moment she complied. Like a small warning, just in case she felt inclined to refuse him. Just how dangerous a man could he be to suck the life right from her body with naught but a glance?

"It seems there are some people who would much prefer it if I had not brought you here to Hueco Mundo." He said. "Isn't that so, Luppi?"

"Of course I don't like it." Luppi said, averting his eyes. "Our entire battle has meant nothing. All of it was little more than a diversion so that we could bring this _girl_ here. Frankly, it only makes me disgusted with her."

"I suppose that was my fault, I was surprised to see you beaten so severely." Aizen smiled softly. Luppi's downcast face instantly morphed back into a scowl, frowning at the other man and his passive aggressive jabs at Luppi's less than stellar capability. "Oh, I know what we should do." Aizen said with renewed interest, as if he had just been struck by a delightful epiphany. "Orihime, in order to demonstrate the strength of your abilities, I'd like you to heal Grimmjow's left arm." He finished, sending the room into momentary silence in response to his impractical appeal.

Orihime blinked, able to feel the shock radiating from Grimmjow, who was standing not ten feet behind her, stunned at their leader's unexpected and seemingly unfeasible request.

"Impossible! That's crazy, Lord Aizen!" Luppi abruptly yelled. "_Grimmjow_? It can't be done! Director General Tosen immolated his arm, he turned it to ashes! How is she going to heal something that doesn't exist? The hell is she, a God?"

Orihime was quickly able to tune out his unsavory words, having already grown remarkably accustomed to them in such a short time. Sliding her eyes to the person behind her, she turned and made a cautious approach toward the man she'd been asked to restore. She watched as his eyes followed her like a predator, making her more nervous than she already was.

"Soten Kesshun," She murmured, sending a sparkling display of golden light to shoot outwards from her temple. "I…reject." She finished the short incantation, holding her hands in deep concentration over the void of space that would soon be his regenerated arm.

"Hey! Are you listening, girl?" Luppi shouted and Orihime flinched, trying to avoid eye contact with him or allow herself to become distracted from the task at hand. "If you're putting on an act in a pathetic attempt to save yourself, just quit while you're ahead!" He continued, badgering her as he lifted his hand to point at her accusingly. "Should I see proof you haven't any power, then there's no reason to keep someone like you…alive." His words slowed until coming to a complete stop, staring in open astonishment as Grimmjow's arm slowly came back, piece by sinewy piece.

"Wha…" Luppi breathed, aghast as the arm finally came together. Grimmjow looked down at her with wide eyes for but a moment, directly into her own brown ones before lifting his restored arm with amazement, staring as he flexed and tested his fingers. "H-how? This is beyond the point of healing. What sorcery is this? What did you do, girl?!" Luppi said incredulously, his lack of faith in her painfully obvious as he continued to accuse her of trickery.

"Still don't understand?" Aizen asked with a secretive smirk to the boy who just couldn't seem to grasp the situation. "Ulquiorra thinks it's temporal or spatial regression. Both are interesting theories." He said as his eyes wandered lazily over the pale Espada in question.

"Yes." Ulquiorra answered quietly.

"It can't be. No human could have such advanced power. It's completely impossible." Luppi thought aloud with much bewilderment present in his voice.

"But she does, either way you look at it," Aizen answered his bafflement with calm authority. "This is pure…event rejection." He said, nearly shocking everyone in the room. "It is neither temporal or spatial. It rejects all form of phenomenon. Her power limits, rejects and negates what has happened to an object. She has the power to return things to the state they existed in before events changed them. It exceeds temporal or spatial regression." Orihime held her breath, soaking up all of this new and radical information that she could hardly believe was true. Was this really the answer to her atypical and abnormal powers? "Effortlessly, it overcomes the limits of all established phenomena, it knows no limits." He continued casually, leveling her with an intense stare. "This power violates the realm…of god."

She heard Luppi make a dark sound of contempt towards her and she swallowed nervously, unsure if she should put more space between the two of them. It never hurt to be overly cautious, and here in this foreign land that wasn't even the same dimension as her home, she couldn't afford to make mistakes.

"Hey, princess," Grimmjow suddenly called, catching her attention as he turned his back to her and pointed to a painful looking scar on his lower back. "Come heal one more thing." He demanded and without thinking, she'd called forth her fairies again, spreading them across his waist as she concentrated once more on mending his body. Orihime blinked curiously, easily becoming distracted by the large, peculiar looking hole in his abdomen. How interesting these hollows were…

"Just what are you trying to pull, Grimmjow?" Luppi said guardedly from behind them, eyeing the blue haired man with skepticism. Grimmjow glanced at the man over his shoulder, his calm and somewhat unfocused demeanor changing in an instant as his thin lips unexpectedly shot up into the wickedest grin she'd quite possibly ever seen.

Orihime gasped as the man before her disappeared in a blur of white and blue. She hadn't even the chance to turn around before she heard a pained grunt behind her. Her head whirled around, astonished to find the arm she'd just painstakingly reassembled now impaled through the young lavender-eyed boy's abdomen.

"Grimmjow..." He coughed and wheezed as blood spewed forth from his mouth. "You bastard!"

"Your days are done," Grimmjow's animalistic grin was near frightening, his teeth shining with an appalling sharpness as he raised his arm with deliberate slowness. "Goodbye! Mister _ex-_number six." He said before the bright, red cero shot forth from his hand, obliterating everything in its path, including most of the small Espada's body. A deep, lone chuckle bubbled up from Grimmjow's throat as the mutilated corpse buckled to its knees before collapsing in a limp heap onto the floor to bleed out. The faint chuckling that came from him afterwards quickly grew in volume, louder and louder until it reached a deafening roar that filled the room and echoed off the pillars.

"It's back! My power's back!" He proclaimed loudly as Aizen watched with a wickedly serene grace from above, lowering his hand from his chin to watch the man below him reestablish his position as a ranking member of his army, his comrades observing in silence. "The sixth Espada…is Grimmjow again!" He bellowed with a maddening look flaring to life in his eyes, a look that frightened Orihime and made her take several steps back as he continued celebrating, revealing a borderline side of himself that she'd never have guessed he possessed. He'd seemed so distant before, but now…

"Grimmjow," Aizen said, gaining the man's full attention after his laughter had died out. The blue haired man smirked manically, staring up at his master with that feral and wild look in his eyes. "It's so nice to see you back to normal," Aizen gave him a lopsided smile, closing his eyes and resting his chin in his palm once more. "I was beginning to worry for you." He said. His velvety voice and smooth, controlled words hinting that he might have predicted such a brutish reaction from his subordinate, even expected it.

Orihime swallowed hard as she began to wonder if she'd just been used, pulled into a scheme as an unknowing accomplice to reestablish the balance of power that had somehow been previously upset between the two Espada.

"Gimme' something to do, boss!" Grimmjow sniggered, lifting his foot and shoving the heel of his boot into the ghastly remains of Luppi, thrusting the disfigured body across the room until it slammed into the base of the podium, far below Aizen's feet. "I'm in the mood to kill something." He said in a dangerously hushed voice, licking his lips with an unquenchable hunger burning in his blue eyes.

"I think that can be arranged." Aizen grinned, angling his head back a fraction as he observed the man below him seething with an enormous amount of pent up aggression. "Ulquiorra," Aizen said, his eyes suddenly on the other man. "Would you be so kind as to escort our guest somewhere more suitable for the time being? I'm afraid I must leave her in your capable hands from here on out."

Orihime watched, unsure if she had even seen correctly, as the pale man actually seemed to hesitate for a split second, his green eyes flickering with the closest thing resembling life that she had seen in the man, a muted sort of reluctance. "Yes, my lord." He said immediately and the fleeting moment was gone before she'd barely had a chance to analyze it. Orihime wrapped her arms tighter around herself, unsure of what was happening as she saw the amused look on Aizen's face. _Was there something funny about this?_ She wondered, distrustful of the circumstances.

"This way," Ulquiorra said as he walked by her towards the exit. "I'll show you to your quarters."

"Okay…thank you." She said nervously as she followed.

"Ulquiorra," Aizen called from behind them, prompting the pale man to stop in his tracks.

"Yes, my lord?" Ulquiorra answered, his back defiantly facing his master as he patiently waited for him to finish.

"Do be gentle with her," Aizen said. "…she is very precious to me." He finished darkly, a definite warning hidden in the pleasant tones of his voice.

"Always, my lord." Ulquiorra agreed quietly and without protest as he moved forward once more.

"Hey, princess!" Grimmjow called out again, catching her eye as he stared her down with that same, spine tingling look he'd given her before. She stood silently, watching as his feral grin slowly grew and widened. "Don't think I won't pay you back for this." He said harshly, his words causing a tiny crease to form between her brows.

Orihime instantly averted her eyes and gave him a wary nod of her head, unsure of how else she ought to reply to his strange and slightly aggressive way of expressing gratitude. It had sounded more like a threat. Without wasting another second, she turned on her heels to retreat from the room that was beginning to fill with the sickening scent of death. She had barely taken two steps before something wrapped around her legs, nearly causing her to trip. Orihime looked down, surprised to see Wonderweiss at her heel with his arms secured around her thighs and his cheek resting on the swell of her hip, looking up at her as if she were abandoning him.

A sense of guilt kicked in and she reached down, caressing the top of his head in apology. She was about to say something comforting when Aizen interfered, calling out to the boy in a kind voice from his throne.

"Wonderweiss," He said. "Perhaps you should check in with Tosen, yes?"

Orihime was stunned, and a little wounded, when the boy's head perked up instantly and his arms released her, turning from her person as if she hadn't even been there to begin with. He made a noise of excitement, his freckled face lighting up surprisingly fast.

"I'm sure he's been concerned for you." Wonderweiss hurried back to the podium, listening intently as Aizen continued to distract him with little effort.

"Woman," Ulquiorra called from the doorway, waiting for her.

"Yes…" She said, not even sparing the room one last glance before making her way out. "I'm coming." Her feet hurried to catch up to him as she listened to the deceptively mild and carefree voice of the defected Shinigami Captain behind her, handing out his commands to an eager Grimmjow. She heard the doors groan mightily, grinding against the stone flooring as they slowly slid shut behind her, releasing a quick and faint gust of wind that teased her long locks from behind as they finally closed shut. She looked up, realizing he was still patiently waiting for her as she came to stand a few feet before her new warden, who was eyeing her closely. Despite the horror show she'd just witnessed, despite being kidnapped and taken as a prisoner of war, despite everything, she looked up and gave him a small, weak smile while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm ready." She said shakily, trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Ulquiorra continued to gauge her, scrutinizing that smile that he could clearly see was far from genuine. Without wasting another moment, he looked away and moved on, wordlessly commanding her to follow.

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Orihime crossed over the threshold of the room he had ushered her to. She took her time to examine the sparse décor of the dark space. With a quick scan of the area, she reached up to nervously rub her forearm. There was naught but a lone couch situated on the far left, with a large, claret colored area rug to absorb the cold and a small table nestled at the arm of the settee. The walls were white, but appeared as more of a dull grey in the meager lighting, all of which was supplied by the moonlight spilling in through a high, arched window built into the wall.

Orihime blinked as her eyes landed on the window, nearly doing a double take. It actually had bars on it…how medieval…

"It's very…lovely." She stated to the man standing in the doorway behind her, taking her time to clear her throat quietly at her complete inability to tell even the smallest of lies.

"You are here to serve Lord Aizen. Unnecessary materials are something you no longer need to concern yourself with."

She averted her eyes momentarily, hating the idea of a life in servitude, only to quickly look back up with a faint smile to hide the sadness. "Yeah," She said, agreeing without much enthusiasm behind the affirmation. "You're right." She gave him an indifferent shrug, trying greatly to play this whole thing off. Trying to pretend she wasn't a prisoner acting the part of an honored guest.

Ulquiorra turned his head, motioning for something or someone that was outside of the room to enter. A brief time later, a young, attractive woman appeared. With soft red hair and a lean build, she carried a silver tray of fabrics and a select few other items neatly lain about atop the well polished platter.

"A more suitable bed will be delivered to your room soon enough. While tomorrow, your life in Las Noches will begin. For now, you are to be fitted to a new uniform more befitting a ward of the Espada." He said as the woman approached her and set the tray on the end table beside the sofa. Her amber eyes sent the human girl quick and unpleasant glances as she brought a thin strip of measuring tape up to her arm, extending it downwards from her shoulder to her wrist. "You will have food delivered to your room three times daily, with duties and activities planned in between on your agenda," He continued and Orihime only half listened, too distracted by the woman's hands moving over her curves and extremities to absorb every word.

The seamstress's movements were slow and graceful and Orihime watched as she worked, slightly fascinated. She twitched briefly when the woman pressed against her sides, nearly summoning forth a bubble of laughter at her sensitive and ticklish flesh. When she felt the fingers of the woman suddenly start reaching up her skirt, Orihime blushed madly and forced herself not to move away. Only to find herself blushing harder as the red headed woman straightened herself and came to stand behind her, wrapping the dull yellow tape around her chest, pressing and loosening it again several times against her breasts to get an accurate measurement.

Orihime's face went from a blush to a blanche.

Doing such a thing in front of a man…

To be so open and vulnerable like this was off putting enough. She wanted to turn around for a little privacy, at the very least.

Orihime looked up, fully ready to be met with an unyielding, green eyed gaze watching her squirm uncomfortably in this embarrassing situation, only to be taken aback as she realized he wasn't even looking at her. She stared openly and continued listening to him talk, leaning against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets and staring off into the hallway as if he were a thousand miles away.

"Your room will remain unlocked for the remainder of your stay in Las Noches. You are free to roam wherever you please, so long as you do not leave this tower. This is a rule you are to follow at all times, am I clear?"

Orihime blinked, unable to break her stare. When a few seconds passed without reply, his eyes turned from their far off destination and locked onto hers. She nearly looked away, but instead found herself answering him with a question of her own.

"Why?" She asked, truly curious.

He merely went back to his blank stare, examining whatever it was he was so interested in out in the hallway. "Out of all the Arrancar in Aizen Sosuke's army, there are ten Espada that are the strongest. Throughout Las Noches are ten towers, each of which is a domain selectively chosen and allotted to each of the top Espada as their own private residence, while Lord Aizen resides in the innermost dome, the largest section of the palace. Although trespassing into these towers is expressly forbidden, it doesn't mean it never happens. Your presence in Las Noches will inevitably invoke certain individuals to provoke you," He stated. "If you value your life, you will never leave this room."

Orihime's lips formed into a little frown. No doubt he was trying to frighten her into submission. "It doesn't sound like a very happy existence," She said, her brows furrowing and forming a small crinkle between her eyes. "Always having to worry if someone is going to come barging into your house and try to murder you in your sleep…"

Without much hesitation, he merely closed his eyes and answered, "You are in Hueco Mundo now. Your happiness has no meaning here." He pushed himself from the doorframe and spared her one last glance. "Do you have any further questions?" He asked.

Orihime hesitated, put off by his blunt and slightly harsh reply. There was always a place for happiness in her heart, at least that's what she always believed. "No, I can't think of any at the moment." She answered with a small shake of her head.

"Good, I am leaving now," He said as he began to turn away. "I will return within the hour to be sure you have adjusted well. By then your meal will have been delivered. I expect it to be gone by the time I return, understood?" He asked.

She nodded.

Without another word, he strode into the hall.

"Um…Ulquiorra-kun?" She called after him. He paused mid-step and looked back at her. "Tha-" Before she could get the words out to thank him for seeing to her needs, he interrupted her without missing a beat.

"It is Ulquiorra and only Ulquiorra. If you refer to me in such a way again, you will not receive food for a week." He said with quiet finality. "Do you understand this?" His eyes, large and green, narrowed ever so slightly as his voice softened an octave, sending a shiver up her spine.

Orihime brought her hand up to her chest, clenching it tightly as she stood on the receiving end of that daunting stare, upset at the prospect that she had wanted to thank him, only to receive such a harsh look. She was unsure of what she had said that could have offended him. Without so much as a sound, she gave a small nod of her head in reply before completely turning away from him.

When she looked back, he was gone.

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TBC

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**Thanks for the reviews, my beautiful friends! And sorry for the long update!**

**Props to my editor, XEHX.**


	3. Chapter 3

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CHAPTER 3

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Orihime sat, curled into herself on the far end of the sofa as she stared out the window of her room. She brought her knees up, trying to conserve as much body heat as possible. There was an unpleasant draft blowing relentlessly just outside those walls and it howled at her like a melancholic siren, forcing her to remember where she was each time she heard its call. As if the dark, concrete cell wasn't enough of a reminder of her solitary confinement, it was also far from warm, forcing her to clench her jaw just to prevent her teeth from chattering. The woman that took her measurements had left not long after Ulquiorra had taken his leave, and she'd taken Orihime's clothes with her, leaving her with nothing more than a plain white tank and an equally plain pair of underwear to sleep in. She had felt rather isolated ever since as she sat in silence and waited. Unable to do more than listen to the sound of her own breathing and toil away the hours with thoughts of her uncertain future devouring every moment that passed.

It was strange, how the woman had acted towards her. She was clearly sent to tend to her needs, but seemed to do so begrudgingly, considering she would glare at the girl from time to time in a cantankerous manner. Orihime wondered why these individuals didn't appear too keen on having her present in Las Noches. Was it because she was considered an enemy? She'd been curious to find out, as was her nature, and as the woman had picked up a hair brush from her tray of assorted tools and other such paraphernalia, she had decided to ask.

When she had approached Orihime to begin the task of brushing her hair, it had put her off a little. And suddenly Orihime had a good idea as to why the woman probably loathed her, no doubt she felt as though she was going to be treated as a servant. Anyone would be defensive in such a situation. "Um…I can do it," Orihime had said with a small smile, reaching out to take the brush from her hands.

The woman froze, her lips thinning into a hard line as she glared at her. "Here, there's no need for you to do all of this work." She'd said and then took the brush. The woman looked around the room hesitantly, as if she expected someone to barge in at any moment and reprimand her. Without saying a word, she'd turned on her heel, picked up her tray and left in a huff. Orihime was left baffled. She'd been alone ever since, pondering over a great many things.

The seamstress hadn't made a noise during the entire encounter, causing Orihime to wonder if the woman could even talk at all, or if she was simply forbidden to converse with her. Or, even more wounding to Orihime's pride, she didn't want to talk to her. The thought of a lengthy stay in Hueco Mundo without any verbal, physical or mental stimulation was daunting. She wasn't necessarily planning to remain here for the rest of her days, but being held in a harsh and unforgiving environment against her will with zero company was still a discouraging prospect.

And so she'd sat there and continued to idly mess with her hair, using the brush the woman had left behind before twisting the strands in her fingers until it had settled into a loose braid to ward off the knots for the night, one of the many vices of having such long hair. Time passed and she waited patiently for her meal and for Ulquiorra to return. He never did. Orihime sighed and hugged her knees closer to herself, vigorously running her hands over her calves in an attempt to warm her skin. She was hungry and cold and a little lonely, but those were the least of her problems.

As she'd waited in her room for a sign of life, a strange quiet sank into the air. She had paid it little mind at first. Sleep was evading her and she knew Las Noches was a vastly different sphere of experiences than what she was used to in comparison to her safe, warm home. It was an entirely foreign place to her. Even the air felt different here...but then she heard it. A quiet moan in the far off distance. At the sound, she had paused and strained her ears to listen for it again, wondering if she was just hearing things. Until, after a few more seconds, it happened again, muffled by the walls surrounding her and preventing her from pinpointing the exact direction it was coming from – but it was there, nonetheless.

Minutes had passed without further incident and when a yawning silence fell over her like a blanket, she thought it had stopped.

Orihime suddenly flinched as a horrid and mangled screeching cry blasted out into the night from somewhere deep within the belly of Las Noches. She pushed her back further into the arm of the sofa and stared at the doorway in shock as one by one, other quieter voices slowly joined in, echoing out like a chorus of lost souls arising from the darkness in a mournful eulogy.

There were noises…terrible, horrible noises…

Liken to the wind howling at her window on a stormy night, but so much worse. Orihime's nails sank into the cushiony fabric beneath her as the frightening sounds came and went like a wave. Sometimes it was quiet and hushed, while other times it would be loud and alarming, considering most of the gut wrenching noises were pouring into her room from the desert outside, crawling past the bars of her window and whispering over her ears.

Orihime felt her heart drop when she looked up, terrified to see a shadow creep its way by her window. She held her breath and prayed it was her eyes playing tricks on her as a result of an overactive imagination kicking into gear simply because she was already on edge. But when it suddenly slinked past again, sending a long, dark outline to sweep across her room like a specter, she pushed herself from her seat and took a step back, careful not to take her eyes off the window.

"Go…go away!" She shouted forcefully as fear began to sink in at the corners of her mind. When she saw her attempt did little to nothing at all, she turned on her heel and ran to the door, pounding on it with her fists.

"Let me out!" She screamed, constantly looking over her shoulder with a sense of paranoia. "Please, let me out! There's something in my room!" She cried out, pounding on the door with renewed vigor.

"_Your room will remain unlocked…"_ He'd said. She paused and took a brief moment to evaluate those words. She looked over her shoulder once again, distraught to see what looked like, quite possibly, several more shadows converging in on her room. It was no longer just a singular entity, and thus, left her considerably outnumbered. It sent her paranoia into overdrive, as well as her instincts for survival.

"_If you value your life, you will never leave this room."_

_Never leave this room?_ She thought desperately.

_No! _

Orihime shook her head defiantly. She wasn't going to sit here in this prison cell and let herself get devoured by some human-hungry hollow lurking outside her window!

With a hefty shove, she heaved the door open, pushing it aside as she rushed out of the room and into the hall. Her bare feet pushed her forward on the cold floor as she took the nearest corner. As she rounded the bend, she instantly ran into Ulquiorra and barely found enough time to put her hands up to prevent a painful collision as she smashed straight into his chest like a battering ram.

Orihime was suddenly very aware of how solid the man was when she stumbled back, scarcely able to catch herself from falling as pain shot though her chest like a knife. She hunched over slightly and grasped at her ailing chest as it constricted from the impact, trying to catch her breath. She gasped and attempted to take slower, more steadying breaths as she looked up at him with slightly fearful eyes.

"What are you doing outside of your room?" He asked steadily. Wholly, and frustratingly, unfazed by the incident that had completely knocked the wind out of her.

"I…I can't stay in there," She said, shaking her head in accordance to emphasize her words as her breathing steadied before finally evening out.

"You were screaming about something, what is the issue?" He inquired again, trying to get an answer out of her.

Orihime took one last steadying breath before straightening herself and looking up at him with watery eyes. She was unsure if the small pebbles of moisture were from the near crippling collision or the dreadful experience she'd just had in her room that seemed more befitting a bad dream. "Please, I can't. There's noises and things outside my window," She explained and, just as suddenly as she said it, realized how childish her reasoning sounded.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her. He was waiting for her to add more onto that sentence, she couldn't be serious, that there must certainly be a real, legitimate reason for her behavior. His frown remained unmoved on his face and when she supplied him with no such clarification and failed to offer any further explanation, he replaced his hands back into his pockets and let his eyes grill her in silence, leaving Orihime to wonder if he even believed her at all.

"Nonsense." He said.

And then he turned and walked away, completely dismissing her. "Go back to your room, I don't have time for this."

"No!" She shouted and Ulquiorra froze, his eyes widening as he looked back at her. "This place is terrible!" She cried loudly, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head vigorously, trying to shake her anger and fear away. "It's cold and dark and I've never heard such horrible noises in my life! There are ghastly things outside my window... Hollows!" She said defensively, tearing her hands away from her face and staring him down with wide, determined eyes. "_Hollows_!" She repeated tersely, just to make sure he got the point. The point that she was a human, a being that got consumed by the creatures loitering outside of her room like vultures. "And you abandon me in that room alone and tell me I'm never to leave or use my powers to defend myself? What do you expect me to do? Obey?" She scoffed. "Do you actually think I'd let myself freeze to death in there…surely not, because I'm certain some soul-starved Hollow would have found my frozen corpse before you ever would!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Ulquiorra's frown deepened and Orihime took a step back as he advanced on her, and all of a sudden she was gravely rethinking her brash behavior.

"You act as if you are defenseless. A child would be more capable of fending for itself than you are."

Orihime gasped, affronted. "How dare you…"

"You would do well to stop pitying yourself." He said, nearly leaving her speechless at his blunt and harsh words.

"I do not pity myself." She said, straightening her back to stand at her full height. Though still unable to measure up to his, she looked up at him with a stubborn jut in her chin, trying to meet him eye to eye while refusing to back down. "You left me defenseless in that room! You are the one who forbid me from using any of my powers, pray tell, how am I supposed to fend for myself then?" She said, her mouth crunched up into a frown.

"Tell me," He began, staring her down with his unblinking gaze. "Would you cut off your own head if someone told you, simply because they had you in a compromising position?" He asked, and in taking one slow step forward, she found him suddenly in her personal space.

"I…" Orihime faltered at his words as he gained both verbal and physical ground on her. "That's not…" Her brows furrowed as she grew frustrated with both herself and him. She was upset mostly at herself, angry that she could not refute his logical claim, and worse still, angry that she was hard pressed to disagree with him. "You're supposed to watch after me," She rebuffed in an attempt at rekindling the fire in her eyes, even if it wasn't a champion comeback. "Aizen said so himself."

"What do you want me to do?" He asked and unexpectedly took another intimidating step forward, forcing her to either back down or try and hold her ground as his austere eyes remained strictly locked onto hers. "Do you want me to comfort you? To protect you and coddle you like an invalid?" He leaned down slightly, just enough to get his point across, and Orihime felt something strange in the pit of her stomach. "I'm not your friend, woman. I will not come running to your aid like you're used to your companions doing." His lifeless voice shifted for a moment to pepper his words with a cruel lilt and Orihime's fists clenched as she quickly found herself experiencing the most unpleasant type of infuriation that she could ever recall in her life. "No one is going to throw their life away in order to preserve yours. In Hueco Mundo, it isn't enough for one to be completely incapable of even the slightest bit of aptitude. There is nothing here but reality…you should get used to it."

Orihime wasn't sure if he even saw it coming. She, herself, was hardly aware of what she'd done until it was too late. But when that slap rang out like a scream in the quiet, white halls, leaving her hand stinging with the pain of connecting with his pale cheek, she was certain he was going to slaughter her.

With her breathing labored, she watched in a mixture of shock, rage and fear as he stood, unmoving, and stared at her. Her chin quivered slightly and her hands shook as adrenaline and anger continued to course through her veins. She'd never hit another living person in her life. She'd never been mad enough to do something so explosive. The quiet was deafening and as she stood waiting, completely at his mercy, she stared hard into his eyes, directly into his cryptic, slit pupils in a manner that left her unable to look away, even if she had wanted to. And for the first time, she realized as beautiful as they were...they were nothing but cold, azoic fixtures. There was no life in them and all that shimmer and shine reflecting back at her wasn't real, it was nothing but a high gloss waxed over fine, polished marble to hide what wasn't there. It was nothing but mirrors. Cold, synthetic mirrors...and something in her chest...anguished...and then took her breath away. And it frightened her. It frightened her because she'd never felt something so intense. Because she'd never seen anything so unfeeling, so empty. Because nobody had ever succeeded in stealing the very air she breathed from her lungs.

After several moments of burning silence, he turned and began to walk away. Orihime gasped, hardly able to believe her eyes as she was left standing in disbelief. When his nonchalance only served to feed her anger, causing it to bubble and rise to the surface like a cauldron, she began resenting herself even more as irritation welled up inside her at his easy dismissal of her.

"You…you didn't bring my food!" She blurted out, her lips pursing into a rather silly, pouting frown, desperate to get a one up on him in any way that she could.

"What?" He asked, glancing at her over his shoulder.

"You heard me," She said, straightening her shoulders as tall and as proud as she could, at least as proud as she could feel as a woman whilst standing in her nothing but her skivvies. "You said I'd have dinner delivered to me…well, it didn't come." She said, as if he should feel ashamed of himself for not fulfilling such an unimportant promise. She very nearly deflated when, after she got her words out, she had not felt an ounce of victory in her body at her juvenile behavior.

He immediately turned away, ignoring her. "Go back to your room, I will return later." He said.

Orihime restrained a huff of indignation. He was dismissing her like a child. She wanted to yell at him, to say something smart or to remark on how he'd said the exact same thing last time, but he'd never returned. He'd left her in her room, hungry and cold. It was pure exploitation of her weaker status!

Orihime turned and made her way back into her room, forcing herself not to slam the door behind her. When she gave in and tried anyways, she released a frustrated, and relatively squeaky, growl as the door proved too heavy to slam.

With her mind in a tizzy and her blood still boiling, Orihime could do nothing but pace the room over and over again like a caged animal, glad at least for the rug underfoot to safeguard her bare feet from the frigid floor. She was mad at herself now, mad that she had gotten herself into such a situation, mad that this place was so weird and creepy, and, by far, furiously mad at Ulquiorra. But most unusual of all was that pain that had seized her chest earlier...

Orihime immediately shook her head and put it behind her, refusing to dwell on it.

As her legs began to grow tired, Orihime gave in and reclaimed her seat on the couch, pressing into the cushions for warmth when, as her temper simmered down, so did her body temperature along with it. She sighed, trying to ignore the hunger pains.

This place was horrible. She felt as if she had no control over anything, least of all her own life. It was alienating and alarming to think everything she'd known and taken for granted in life could be ripped away from her so easily.

She thought back to what happened in the throne room earlier, how people could kill and watch as others did the killing without remorse. Orihime looked at her hands clasped tightly in her lap, suddenly feeling sullen at the thought that she could be disposed of just as easily if she proved useless to them.

She had to survive, she had to make herself functional to them somehow. It was the only way to ensure survival, and even then it wasn't guaranteed. Otherwise, if she didn't she may never see her friends again, she'd never go back to school or visit Soul Society or even be able to figure out how to use a cell phone. And Tatsuki-chan…

Orihime abruptly stood from her seat as a voice sounded from the door and she watched as the metal slab slid open, letting in a sliver of light from the outer hallway. She blinked and held her hands beneath her breasts, pressing them against her diaphragm as she worried her fingers together restlessly. When she saw Ulquiorra on the other side of the door, Orihime bit her lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other nervously. She hadn't actually expected him to come back, let alone so soon. After all, he hadn't done so before.

She watched silently as he stepped in and leaned against the wall beside the door, watching her.

Orihime swallowed under such a concentrated stare and after seconds of complete silence, she opened her mouth to say something. The moment she did, he looked away, glancing out into the hall as he gave a small, angled nod of his head, ordering someone to enter. Orihime was astonished, and relieved, when she saw a thin male Hollow pushing a trolley into her room. With his head down and his mask covering his entire face, he seemed meek and timid. But Orihime could hardly be bothered to care as the scent of warm food filled the room.

The unfamiliar Hollow bowed to Ulquiorra and left, closing the door behind him when the man didn't even bother to acknowledge him. Orihime continued to fiddle with her fingers, quite possibly ruining her nails, as he had yet to look away from her. Feeling more and more anxious as the moments ticked by, Orihime could do nothing more than try to start a conversation with him, unwilling to sit here a second longer in awkward silence as he stood there and plotted who-knows-what against her.

"You could have thanked him, at least." She said quietly, dropping her hands and taking a seat on the large settee, her voice was much more sedated than what it had been earlier.

"He is trash," He replied curtly. "Eat."

Orihime blinked.

"What if I don't want it?" She asked, just to be testy.

"What if I strap you down and feed it to you intravenously?"

Orihime promptly popped back up out of her seat. "I'm actually feeling pretty hungry, after all…" She said quickly, reaching out and lifting the lid off the trolley of food that had been parked in front of her. "I think I'll just see what's under here…" She muttered to herself and was surprised when she looked down to see a wide array of foods spread out on a neatly decorated tray. The silverware was perfectly laid out, with a napkin properly folded and tucked beside a small pitcher of water, accented with a delicate paper flower. Orihime looked at the food, and then looked at him a little skeptically. There was no way a place like this could have such fine food.

"How do I know you didn't poison it?" She asked boldly.

"Because if I wanted you dead, I would have seen to it already." He said, his voice soft and somber.

Orihime bowed to his logic without further argument and pulled the tray onto the cushion beside her as she once again took a seat on the couch. Crossing her legs under herself and turning her back on him, she ate in silence. Warm food always had served to cheer her up. And the taste wasn't bad at all. It didn't quite meet her standards for the ideal food, but it was well seasoned and cooked properly and overall she was very happy that it wasn't the horrible prison food she had imagined it would be. When she took a bite of something that she found altogether delicious, she smiled delightfully and turned to him, intending to comment on the type of food.

She stopped herself short, a look of befuddlement filling her eyes when she turned, only to see he was gone. Her brows narrowed, wondering when and why he had left. She hadn't even heard him leave. When Orihime turned back to her plate, something caught her eye on the trolley. She looked down to see a thick, warm blanket neatly folded on one of the cart's shelves. Her eyes instantly lit up as she immediately snatched it up and wrapped it around herself, glad for the warmth.

With her belly full and her flesh warmed, Orihime pushed the plate of food away and curled up in her corner of the couch. Too satisfied with the heat to bother with feeling depressed, she smiled into her blanket, wondering if he had actually gone out of his way to see to her needs. After all, it was rather late at the moment to have bothered with such things. Perhaps he wasn't as bad as he made himself out to be, he had taken care of her, after all…

.

.

.

Ichigo never had been one for mornings, but when he violently lurched up from his pillow and rolled onto the floor in a messy heap of blankets and legs, he knew something needed to be done about his sleeping patterns. "Ugh," He groaned irritably. "What a dream…" He mumbled to himself, reaching up to rub the pained bruise on his head recently acquired from his less than graceful fall. "Ow," He said, shocked to actually feel a small bump. Though, he considered it a trivial trauma compared to the strange happenings he could recall from last night.

He'd had the worst dream…

Orihime had been about to kiss him.

Ichigo blushed.

What the hell was he doing dreaming about girls kissing him? Not that he would mind women kissing him, but Orihime? And even more so, definitely not when they were leaning over him, balling their eyes out like it was the end of the world. What kind of man dreams about stuff like that, anyways?

Even weirder, that pale faced, creepy bastard kept popping up into the dream at random times. Just standing and staring at him as Ichigo stood face to face with him…and then Orihime was with him. And he was doing things to her. And Ichigo had been helpless.

"So I had a bad dream and fell out of bed…how lame am I?" He grumbled to himself sarcastically and continued to rub his sore temple. "Ow! My head really hurts…" He repeated when he rubbed it a little too hard the wrong way.

"Wait a second," He said, suddenly becoming alert when he noticed the only pain in his body was coming from his recently bruised head. He jerked his hand away, quickly unwrapping the bandages from his palm. "It's healed," He whispered. "Who the hell…?" He pressed the heel of his palm to his forehead, concentrating on sensing the remaining traces of spiritual pressure left by the culprit. "This reiatsu is-"

His thoughts were interrupted as they were cut short by the sound of his window sliding open, allowing the crisp morning air to blow into his room shortly afterwards.

"Likely Inoue Orihime's," Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya finished the boy's broken sentence. Ichigo's eyes widened, he was already sensing something was off about this. It wasn't so unusual to see Shinigami comrades and human friends alike appearing in his room at odd hours of the day, but there was something about the look on his face that gave him pause. "Come quickly. We have an emergency." He said gravely.

Dread immediately sank into Ichigo's stomach.

He didn't like this…not one bit.

.

.

.

Ichigo stood outside of apartment 407, staring at the neatly written name of Orihime Inoue on the front panel of her door, with two spare names added in temporary black marker, circled by little stars and hearts and smiley faces; Matsumoto Rangiku and Toshiro Hitsugaya. He rushed into the flat, heading straight for the back bedroom.

He pushed the door back and hurried into the narrow space, hoping his fears wouldn't be confirmed. Ichigo stood in the doorway, greeted by the sight of Madarame Ikkaku, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Rangiku Matsumoto and surprisingly enough, his close friends, both Renji and Rukia. All of them were standing before a large, blank screen that filled the room with white noise. But there was no Inoue.

"Ichigo," Rukia said with a distinctly worried look on her face, her voice betraying her fears even more so.

"Rukia," He replied, shocked to see her here of all places and with no Inoue in sight. Still, just her very presence in the room helped to ease and quell some of his worries. She always did have that effect on him...

"How is the energy interference clearing going?" Hitsugaya asked, addressing his Lieutenant.

"It seems to be complete." She answered.

"Then please connect us."

The screen flickered in and out for a moment, filling the air with static before the image of the Captain of the thirteenth division, Ukitake Jushiro, shimmered to life.

"Captain Ukitake?" Hitsugaya questioned, shocked to see the man. "Where is the Head Commander?" He asked, clearly not expecting this change.

"I asked to switch places with him." The fellow Captain replied in a serious voice.

"For what reason?" Hitsugaya asked, matching his tone.

"Because, I was the last person to see Orihime Inoue before she entered the senkaimon on her trip to the living world." He replied, stunning many of the room's occupants. "Judging by your reactions, I take it she never arrived…" His voice trailed off, guilt prevalent in the depths of his eyes.

"What's going on here?" Ichigo interrupted, eager to get to the bottom of whatever this mess was. Just exactly what was happening with Inoue? "Where did Inoue disappear to?" He asked a little harshly, his frustration growing. "What happened to her? Don't you all know anything about what's going on?"

"I can tell you our side of the story." He answered, closing his eyes as he recalled the incident. "The two guards who escorted her through the senkaimon returned here alive. According to their testimony, it is believed that Orihime Inoue was captured or has possibly already been…killed by the Arrancar."

Ichigo felt his stomach lurch. "Killed?"

"Captain Ukitake!" Rukia gasped, shocked that such a conclusion had been reached so quickly. "Aren't you jumping to conclusions?"

Ukitake glanced down, troubled to have to break such news. "I know, I didn't want to say it, either…" He sighed. "I'm merely saying that there's the possibility of that. According to their testimony, Orihime was attacked by the same Arrancar that attacked them, after which, she disappeared with him-"

"Stop." Ichigo growled quietly and clenched his fist tightly, the same fist he knew Inoue had healed. "That's bullshit!" He suddenly erupted, unable to hold his tongue and listen to this crap a second longer. "You don't have a shred of proof, but you're still willing to sit here and claim she's dead? Stop talking out your ass and look at this!" He announced, thrusting up his arm for all to see, not realizing he was making the situation much, much worse for the girl by trying to stand up for her. "My arm was seriously injured from battle yesterday!" He informed.

Ukitake's eyes widened dramatically at his words, staring at the boy as he continued on with his defense.

"This is a wound that no one else could heal! When I woke up this morning, there wasn't even a scar left on my arm!" Ukitake remained silent as Ichigo refused to relent, even as a disturbing and sober look began overtaking the older man's eyes. "There's still some of Inoue's reiatsu left on my arm!" He shouted loudly. "Knowing this, can you still say that Inoue's dead?!" He added intensely, daring him to continue spilling those lies from his mouth about the girl being dead.

Ukitake looked away, unable to say a word to the boy that had just unwittingly sealed her fate.

"I see…" A deep, authoritative voice called forth, coming from somewhere off screen. "That is a shame."

Ichigo froze.

Ukitake glanced over his shoulder as the Captain Commander himself stepped forward, coming into view on the large screen.

"Head Commander…sir." He heard Rukia mumble from behind him.

"A shame?" Ichigo hissed, incensed. "Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Without hesitation, the scarred old man answered. His voice was sure and unwavering. "If what you're saying is true, then it would certainly mean that Orihime Inoue is alive… However, at the same time, it would also mean that she has betrayed us." Ichigo frowned, putting great effort into holding his tongue to allow the old man to explain himself. "Were she kidnapped, she would not have had the opportunity to see you before she disappeared." He continued calmly. "She went with that Arrancar to Hueco Mundo of her own free-"

"You shut your mouth!" Ichigo roared, his bellow of anger was abruptly cut off as a hand gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Stop," Renji said, leveling him with a sharp stare. "Continuing to talk will only get you into more trouble." He said, trying to calm the young man down a degree. "We understand what you are saying, Commander Yamamoto." He continued and stepped forward from behind the blonde haired youth. "Then I, Abarai Renji, as Vice Captain of the sixth Division and member of Captain Hitsugaya's forces, in response to this treason, will head to Hueco Mundo to bring Inoue Orihime to her senses!" He announced firmly.

"Renji…" Ichigo breathed, hardly able to believe the man would stick his neck out so far for the girl.

Renji looked back, giving his friend a confident smirk of assurance.

"Unacceptable." The hardened voice of the Commander answered, immediately bursting the bubble, and hopes, of both men. Their shock was easily readable on their young, handsome faces.

"What?" Ichigo said, his ire resurfacing at such a cold denial. "You can't just-" He was swiftly cut off at that moment as a single Shinigami messenger entered the view of the screen discreetly. They watched in silence as the man approached Commander Yamamoto from his right, bowing to him before reaching up to hold out a small, folded piece of paper for the older man to take. Soon after, the man exited the screen just as quickly as he entered, leaving them in tense silence as the Commander quietly read through the information.

"It seems our suspicions have been confirmed." He announced to the group.

"…sir?" Rukia hesitantly asked, fearful that they had just been delivered the news of Orihime's death.

"I have just received a report from Captain Soifon herself." He began. "Last night, I personally dispatched a division of the Onmitsukido, a specialized task force specifically designed for stealth operations, into the living world. During their mission, they were able to track down the group of Arrancar that attacked the previous day. And with them…was Orihime Inoue herself." He announced firmly, sending a shockwave throughout the room.

"What?" Renji gasped.

"Inoue…" Rukia breathed, at once both relieved and worried for the girl.

"I told you she was alive!" Ichigo yelled, ready and willing to defend his friend's honor. "There's no way she'd betray us for those scumbags!"

"Unfortunately, that is exactly what she has done." The hardened voice of the Commander stopped him from further celebrations.

"Done what?" Ichigo protested, demanding an answer.

"Orihime Inoue was seen in direct contact with Arrancar from Aizen Sosuke's army, openly defending them from attack by Shinigami."

"You're lying!" Ichigo exploded, unable to contain the rage inside him a moment longer. Renji immediately reached out, locking his arms under Ichigo's shoulders in an effort to hold him back.

"Ichigo!" Renji shouted, trying to calm him down. "Ichigo! You've got to stop, you're only making it worse for Inoue!"

Clenching her fists tightly, Rukia's brows furrowed as she averted her eyes with anger and fear clouding their lavender depths.

"With the betrayal of Orihime Inoue confirmed and having determined that the Arrancar forces are already prepared for battle, I must recall both fifth seat Ayasegawa and third seat Madarame, as well as Lieutenant Kuchiki and Lieutenant Abarai, to return at once and focus on the protection of Soul Society."

"But…does that mean you're telling us to…forget about Inoue?" Rukia asked, unwilling to just abandon her friend in such a clear time of need.

"We're not leaving her," Ichigo said, stepping forward to stand beside the small woman before diverting his attention back onto the bearded man. "We're going to get her back. _Everyone_ here knows she'd never betray us."

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Commander Yamamoto called, his voice was calm, yet firm and demanding. "Until further action is taken, you are to remain in the living world. Any violation of this order will result in extreme punishment."

"You can't just expect me to-"

"You can and you will." He said definitively. "We cannot have the actions of one lone wolf rushing off into battle jeopardizing the delicate balance of power playing out between our worlds. If the girl is what they desire, and negotiating a momentary treaty to pacify the enemy without dispute is all action that is necessary to quell the tension between our warring nations, then we will move forward with this option readily." He finished.

"Treaty?!" Ichigo roared. "You mean leave her out there to die like a sacrificial lamb, that's what it is!" He bellowed with a deep, intense fury burning inside of him.

"Naturally, it means that you cannot weigh the life of one person…against the fate of the world."

Rukia's troubled eyes narrowed. Every fiber of her being was telling her not to disobey her commanding officer, but every ounce of her heart screamed at her in defense of her friend. She simply could not, _would not_, leave Inoue. "I'm sorry, sir. But…I cannot obey that order." She said, eyeing the older man defiantly.

"As I suspected," Yamamoto said slowly, clearly anticipating such a response. "Then it is good that I made preparations for such an occurrence." He finished just as a gateway opened up behind them, spilling forth light into the room from the dimensional opening.

"So that's the way it is," Renji said, furrowing his brows as the senkaimon opened up to reveal two captain level Shinigami, Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki, waiting on the precipice of the world penetration gate.

"Go back now, all of you." Kenpachi droned sedately.

"Do not resist. We are under orders to use force if necessary." Byakuya ordered quietly.

"Captain Hitsugaya, as well as Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, you are to stay behind and remain in the living world to watch over the actions of Ichigo Kurosaki. He is expressly forbidden from entering neither Soul Society nor Hueco Mundo. If you see such inclination that he is preparing otherwise, the use of force may be used to subdue him."

The steady voice of the Captain Commander rang out like a funeral bell, announcing the death of a loved one.

He was separating them, all of them, and leaving Inoue to die.

Both Rukia and Renji stood, staring at the two Captains that had come to fetch them like disobedient children. He'd sent Byakuya on purpose. He'd known neither Rukia nor Renji could deny him, their eyes said it all. Leaving both Ikkaku and Yumichika in a similar situation, as well.

They'd lost before the fight had even begun.

"I understand…" Ichigo said quietly, luring their attention away from the men. Rukia looked back, her face the picture of distress and guilt. She stepped forward, reaching for him until she stopped herself, dropping her hand and averting her eyes. "I'm not going to ask for Soul Society's help, I don't need it." He declared with a bitter calmness. "But I will get to Hueco Mundo, one way or another." He said, leveling the Commander with a determined glare. "Inoue's our friend. I'll save her myself."

"Ichigo," Rukia breathed, unable to take her eyes off the young man who'd had the guts to say what no one else could.

A long silence swept over the room, engulfing the occupants in a quiet storm.

"Unacceptable." Yamamoto affirmed once more.

Ichigo's eyes widened despite himself. He'd seen such a response coming, but knowing that had failed to cushion the hurt.

"Your strength will be important in the upcoming war." Yamamoto said. "I will not allow you to act on your own or die like a dog. You will wait until you receive orders - that is all." And with that, the image of the Commander flickered several times and died out. Not moments later, the screen itself vanished from the room.

Rukia stared at Ichigo's back, wanting in some way to comfort him. But she couldn't. There wasn't going to be any punching him in the arm or drop kicking him to the floor to distract him from his adversities. She was helpless.

And he looked so alone…

"Ichigo…" She said quietly when she felt a hand tugging on her shoulder, pulling her into the senkaimon. "…I'm sorry." She professed, praying that he knew how much she meant it, how much she wanted to stay and fight by his side. She hated seeing him standing there like that, unable to help.

The gateway closed shut behind her, cutting off her last view of the strawberry blonde boy in the room.

He stood, unspeaking in the suddenly silent room as both Hitsugaya and Rangiku turned to leave. The blonde paused in the doorway, turning back and reaching out as if to say something to the lone youth, only to have her Captain gently touch her shoulder, stopping her. She looked back questioningly at the short Captain as he shook his head, wordlessly telling her it was best not to say anything. She gave the boy one last glance before turning and shutting the door behind her, leaving him in solitude.

Ichigo remained unmoving and alone in the room of the one girl who had risked so much to help him. He'd been left alone…they'd all left him alone. Inoue never would have done that. She'd always been there to help everyone, always smiling for them and offering kind words. She'd offer her soul up to the devil himself if she knew it would save her beloved friends from misery.

He knew she hadn't betrayed them.

He knew she deserved more than a dismissal and abandonment.

And _he_ was the one that was going to bring her back safely.

…or else he'd die trying.

.

.

.

Orihime yawned and stretched as she shook the sleep from her bones. Pushing herself up on her elbow, she brushed a strand of hair from her face and glanced out the window. Seeing darkness outside threw her off, nearly causing her to roll over and drift back off to sleep. It was so unusual seeing a starless, black sky in the morning rather than bright, inviting sunlight. She sighed. She sure was going to miss that sunlight…

The girl perked up immediately when she smelt something warm and appealing. It didn't take her long to find the trolley of food parked right at the end of her sofa, sitting there, tempting her with that delicious smell. Throwing the blanket from her body, she crawled forward and reached out to pull the tray of food closer.

"Get dressed, you have an appointment with Lord Aizen in fifteen minutes." A voice stated from behind her.

Orihime screeched at the top of her lungs, jumping right out of her skin as she spun around, locking eyes with her pale warden. "Ulquiorra," She exhaled in both relief and alarm and placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart frantically hammering against her ribs from the scare. "You frightened me." She said, certain that this was not a healthy way to start the morning.

"Clearly," He stated dryly, taking a step forward to deposit a small pile of clothes in his hand onto the arm of the settee. "Your clothes have been washed, I will return in ten minutes." He said. "I expect you to be ready." Replacing his hand in his pocket, he turned and began strolling towards the exit.

"Thank you for the blanket last night," Orihime quickly called out, hoping to catch him before he reached the door. He didn't stop or acknowledge her as he continued on, leaving her in silence. With another exasperated sigh, Orihime diverted her attention back to the food waiting for her on the trolley. She hurried her pace as she grabbed her clothes and headed for the lavatory connected at the far end of her room, hidden in the corner. Pulling out her braid and washing her face, she prepared for the day. After straightening her blouse as she stepped out, Orihime ate in silence and waited for his return…

As she followed behind, Orihime tried to take the opportunity to familiarize herself with the layout of the place. She knew it might take her a while to get the hang of it, but if she could get a general direction of where things were located, it may become useful to her at some later point in time. When he stopped before an open doorway in one of the long, narrow halls, Orihime stood on her toes and peaked over his shoulder, curious as to what he was looking at.

She bristled when she caught sight of Aizen standing on a large balcony at the far end of a large room, staring out into the endless desert of Hueco Mundo. "I'm glad to see you came," He said as he turned to face her. "Orihime." He smiled at her then and urged her to come inside.

Cautiously stepping out from behind Ulquiorra, Orihime moved forward, passing two young women standing guard within the room. "Sorry to have called you here so suddenly," He said as he navigated around a uniquely carved chair seated near the edge of the grand balcony that overlooked the barren desert. "There's something I want to show you." Placing a hand on the back of the chair, Aizen diverted his gaze to address the pair of female Arrancar behind her. "Loly, Menoly…please leave." He ordered dismissively.

"B-but!" They both protested, carelessly ignoring the simple order. "For us to leave Lord Aizen in the company of someone like her-!"

Aizen smiled.

And Orihime could feel the energy in the room shift like a switch.

"P-please, excuse us!" They both bowed swiftly, falling to one knee and lowering their heads in hopes of gaining his forgiveness. Just as quickly as they had kneeled, they stood back up and stormed from the room, leaving hatred and contempt in their wake. "Who the hell does she think she is?" Spat the brunette spitefully, passing a stony Ulquiorra on their way out.

Orihime shivered as she watched the pair leave. She'd never felt such animosity directed towards her person in all her life. Not by anyone in the living world or Soul Society, not even by Luppi.

"Now," Aizen said patiently, drawing her attention back to him with ease. "Would you look at this, Orihime?" He asked pleasantly, giving her a small smile as his hand waved gracefully over an invisible spot on the floor. Orihime watched as a light gust of air pushed out from the tiles and swirled the dust outward into a circle naught but a few inches in diameter. Slowly, a slender column arose from the tiling and with a light touch of his finger, the pillar slid apart, spreading out in a wave of multiple flat disks.

Orihime nearly jerked back when she saw what it revealed, what lay hidden within that pillar. She stood, staring in abject disbelief and shock at the small, glowing orb before her.

The Hogyoku.

It was such a strange feeling. The aura it gave off was at once both magnificent and frightening.

Aizen smirked at her reaction. "It seems you know," He stated curiously. "This is the Hogyoku." He seemed to be genuinely pleased and spoke of it as if introducing her to an old friend. "It's weakened quite a bit due to the repeated and instantaneous awakenings." He said a bit dejectedly. "But it's clearly moving forward to complete a full awakening. Turning Hollows into Arrancars, the creation of the throne…neither is possible without the Hogyoku." He explained.

Orihime listened quietly, completely lost as to why he was sharing so much information with her. But she took it, nonetheless. She'd need it if she wanted to stand a chance of surviving this place. Though, not only survive it, but to help bring it and its master down.

"The fact that I'm showing you this, telling you secrets and confiding in you…consider it a privilege. Think of it as proof of my trust in you." He said it as if he had read her mind. It was unnerving and even more so when he began taking steps closer and closer to her. "Your powers are 'rejecting any phenomenon', denying the very fact that the occurrence ever happened and extinguishing the phenomenon." He continued. When Aizen came to a stop before her and his dark eyes looked into her own while offering the girl a silky smile, she felt her stomach churn. She wondered how someone so handsome could have ever become so wicked and dastardly. "It's an incredible power."

Orihime tried to stand her ground, refusing to back down from his intimidating aura that radiated from him in subtle but dangerous waves. She held her breath and felt her own pulse in her chest as he gently reached forward to tuck a soft strand of hair behind her ear with his well manicured fingers. "I need your powers, Orihime." He said softly, a little too softly. She felt nervous and shaky and if she didn't remind herself to breath soon she feared she'd pass out.

She flinched when he brought his hand down, caressing her cheek with the back of his knuckle, staring into her eyes as if he were casting a magical spell over her.

Orihime thought it was more like a curse.

"You'll use that power for me," He said, tucking his knuckle under her chin and lifting it to force her to meet his eyes. "Won't you?" When she didn't immediately answer, his fingers gave her chin a squeeze, daring her to deny him.

Orihime was immediately jolted back to her senses and she gave him a slight nod. "Yes," She answered warily, unable to hide the anxiety in her voice.

His smile widened. "I must say, I'm happy to hear you say that, Orihime." Aizen released her chin, straightening his person and stepping away from her, giving Orihime just enough room to breathe once more. "Ulquiorra, would you come here, please?" He asked congenially as he turned and strode back to his chair, resting his elbow on its back as he stared out into the desert.

When Ulquiorra entered and came to stand just beside Orihime, there was a brief moment of silence that hung in the air before Aizen spoke again. "I trust you have taken good care of my dear Orihime during her short stay here, yes?" He asked.

"Yes, my lord." Ulquiorra answered quietly as he stared into the back of his commander.

"And if I asked Orihime the same question," He said slyly while peeking at the man over his shoulder with a dangerous gleam in his eye. "She would give me the same answer?"

"I can only speak for myself, Lord Aizen."

"Very well," He said and directed his gaze back to the sands that lay outside the walls of Las Noches. "Orihime, has Ulquiorra been kind to you?"

Orihime parted her lips in surprise, as she was unsure how to answer such an abrupt inquiry. Especially with the man in question standing right beside her.

She'd hesitated, and it was obvious.

"Well?" Aizen urged and in still receiving no answer, he continued. "If you are too afraid of him to speak, don't be. Ulquiorra is a most agreeable person…but if he has somehow wronged you-" His tone darkened a little and Orihime panicked.

"No!" She blurted out, interrupting the man. "He…he's been very kind to me." She said and, after all, it was a partial truth, at least. He had taken care of her.

Even from where she stood, Orihime could feel the tyrant smiling at her behavior. "Oh? I'm very relieved to hear such news, Orihime. I was becoming quite worried." He sighed briefly, seeming to pause for a moment to enjoy the fresh breeze that blew in from the desert. "Ulquiorra can be very…direct at times, my dear. I beg of you to forgive him any trespasses. However, he is still one of the best men in my army."

Orihime bit her lip and stole a glance of the pale man from the corner of her eye, standing beside her like a statue. He hadn't even flinched at that ominous feeling Aizen had given off, he could've sent Ulquiorra to the gallows to have his head chopped off at the slightest whim and be none the poorer for it. And still, Ulquiorra didn't seem to cower and worship Aizen like the rest of them did…and it left Orihime to wonder if Aizen had something on the man that was much more potent than raw power.

"You will be kind to him as well, yes?" Aizen asked over his shoulder again. It shook Orihime from her thoughts like an earthquake when she realized he'd been staring at her the entire time she'd been staring at Ulquiorra. And he'd been smiling about it the whole time.

"Yes," Orihime quickly nodded and looked away. She was a little embarrassed, but hopeful that Ulquiorra hadn't noticed her none too subtle gawking.

"Good," She heard a small chuckle from Aizen. "Now, I hate to dismiss you so suddenly, especially after calling you here on such short notice, my dear. But I do have very pressing matters to attend." He said as he removed his weight from his arm and stepped forward to take a seat in the pale, white chair he'd been leaning on. Sensing another presence enter the room after his words, Orihime glanced further down the wide hall leading to the balcony. She could just make out the edges of a silhouette there, her eyes catching sight of the back of a lone figure waiting quietly around the corner. A figure with pale, silvery hair that shimmered with lavender as the wind blew and tussled its strands. "I must thank you for keeping me company, Orihime. I will call on your presence soon." He said and that was that. "Ulquiorra," With a wave of his hand sent over the arm of his chair, Aizen's single worded command called the pale man to do his bidding to escort the girl from the room.

"Who was that?" Orihime asked as soon as they stepped over the threshold, glancing over her shoulder again and again in hopes of catching a glimpse of the unknown person's face.

"It matters not." He answered and continued to lead her away from the scene in silence.

"Was that…Ichimaru-san?"

Ulquiorra didn't seem very interested in answering, but Orihime didn't need his confirmation to know. She was almost certain she'd seen correctly. "It was him, wasn't it?" She said quietly, staring at the back of his head with her brows furrowing before she immediately turned on her heel and ran back towards the room. "Ichimaru-san! Ichimaru-san!" She called loudly as she neared the doorway, hoping she could reach him before she got caught. She gasped as her back slammed into the wall, stopping her from getting any closer. With a cold hand gripping her arm and lifeless green eyes staring down at her, Orihime frowned up at her warden defiantly. Her chin jutted outwards as her lips formed into a frown, glaring at him. "Please, I need to tell him something important." She said, hoping to reason with him.

"No."

"Let me go!"

"No."

Orihime made a noise of frustration in the back of her throat, wishing, not for the first time, that her strengths lied less in healing and more in physical prowess. Her arms were boney and frail and what muscle she did have was well formed, but weak in comparison. Though as thin as the man was, his hand had easily encircled her upper arm with little difficulty. He'd overpowered her without even trying.

"I'm not leaving without speaking to him!" She cried with determination. She wasn't going to give up without a fight.

Seeing that the girl was not going to come quietly, Ulquiorra swiftly pulled her forward and hauled her over his shoulder, locking his arm around her waist to keep her in place. "Lord Aizen has dismissed you," He spoke quietly, unfazed by the single, feeble impact of her fist against his back, an action that even he could tell was more for show than any true aggression. "You should return to your room without causing a scene."

"I'm not the one causing a scene!" She nearly screeched. "You are!" With another puny punch to his back, Orihime gave up and diverted her efforts elsewhere. "Ichimaru-san!" She called again, hoping he could hear her if she was loud enough. "Ichimaru-san! I have to tell you something for Rangiku-san!" She pushed against Ulquiorra's back with her palms, trying to get enough leverage so she could watch the doorway as it faded into the distance.

He would come out so she could tell him. He had to.

Taking a deep breath, Orihime brought a hand up to cup her mouth in a determined effort to make her voice carry as far as possible as Ulquiorra moved her further and further away. "She misses you very much! And Kira-san, too! They miss you and still love you! She told me herself!"

Orihime paused to catch her breath as she continued to watch the doorway. Her eyes never left the fading speck as he carried her away. When Ulquiorra turned a corner, completely cutting off her view, Orihime withered. With a deep, mournful sob, she let her hand slide down his back as she gave in and dropped her head.

"Doesn't he care?" She whispered to herself as tears pricked at her eyes and grief struck her heart. "Doesn't anyone care?"

Ulquiorra said nothing as he continued to carry her, carting the girl back to her room as she hung over his shoulder, silently weeping. He felt her fingers dig into the fabric of his jacket on his lower back as she released a particularly despairing sob and whispered on last time,

"…she told me so herself…"

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"She is quite the troublesome girl, isn't she…Gin?" Aizen asked as he rested his chin in his palm whilst staring out at the beautiful expanse of the desert.

Gin stood by the doorway, silently listening as the girl's cries died off in echoes. With his mouth set in a hard, tight line as he stared at the floor, he turned and made his way back to the balcony. "Yes…" He said distractedly. "Yes, she is."

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TBC

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**Oh, goodness! I'm very sorry if this chapter has bored you, I know it mustn't be very fun to read a ff chapter that basically recaps manga events, and it was a little dull for me, too. But it's necessary!**

**I can't find my beta!**

**Has any one seen my beta?**


	4. Chapter 4

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CHAPTER 4

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Ulquiorra knew the girl was going to be trouble the moment she set foot within Las Noches. Not five minutes after walking through the gates and she was causing strife between the members of the Espada, not that there wasn't enough of that already.

However, his mind had been solely entrapped by the curious case that was Ichigo Kurosaki and he hadn't been able to shake the strange feeling that boy gave him from the moment he had set eyes on him. There was something about him, something that told him the boy was…significant. Everything about him was weak, pitiable and unforgivably impetuous. He was trash, no doubt. But the extraordinary attention imparted to him by Aizen warranted more than just a second glance.

Could he be dangerous?

Ulquiorra hardly thought so. He'd been so incapable it was appalling. To even imagine that he'd succeeded in garnering Aizen's attention, as well as Ulquiorra's in effect, was near impossible to believe.

But he had. And there was a glimmer of a dark thing inside the boy that was brash, yet firmly resolute. A latent shadow that lay sleeping, yet would arise at times as it cried out and said, _look at me and you'll know I'm dangerous to you_.

Despite himself, it was clear to Ulquiorra that Ichigo Kurosaki meant…_something_. It was something that became obvious to him when the boy had blundered into the park that day with all the finesse of a fish out of water and made a complete fool of himself. He'd shown some remarkable signs strength then, but it was raw and unrefined. It was an unknown curiosity that gnawed at him from the inside and whispered insistently not to let him go. It told Ulquiorra that the boy was the key. A key to something that Ulquiorra had been searching the deserts for since a very long time.

He needed a way to get to him and he needed to find a way to control him.

Unfortunately, he'd been haunted with these deep thoughts for days.

That was, until he'd been saddled with the girl. Needless to say, she'd proven herself a mighty impassible and impressive distraction, much to his dismay, and had taken time away from his work.

Ulquiorra had been more than a little shocked when Aizen had thrown her at him without warning. Quite frankly, he'd expected the woman would have been sent off with Harribel and her fraccion, never to be seen again. Ulquiorra could see the rationale behind Aizen's decision, considering he was the only one in Aizen's army that probably wouldn't slaughter or rape the woman on her first night's stay. But that didn't mean he agreed on what good it would do. Ulquiorra knew nothing about tending to humans and he never had an urge to. They were whimsical, over hormonal creatures that seemed to purposefully and deliberately overload themselves on emotional dependency. She was more responsibility than he wanted.

Remarkably enough, however, the girl had proven stronger willed than he'd first assumed. He wouldn't have blamed her if she'd cracked the moment he left her in that room alone. She was human, after all, weak and useless as they were, it was in her nature to fail and humiliate herself. And because of this, he'd given in to a momentary whim and he'd pushed her and provoked her until she snapped.

Ulquiorra had expected her to crumble at his feet and beg for freedom like the weak willed mortal she was. He'd wanted to see her fail.

But she hadn't…and it had unnerved him.

Greatly.

She'd stood there, glaring unmercifully into his eyes as if she actually had the power to defy him. He saw fear in her eyes as her body shook with unrestrained anger. But it was not the fear he had wanted to see, and neither was it the intimate fear of a woman standing half naked before a strange man in a completely sheer garment that had exposed the pink of her breasts in ways he didn't even think she was aware of.

It was fear of herself.

The fear was of emotions that were fresh and primal that had just given birth inside of her to a new and frightening persona that had lain dormant and unprovoked within her throughout her lifetime. Like a once fine and delicate silken taffeta had been torn down the middle. Never to return to the beauty of what it once was.

Indeed, there was something unique and remarkable about her powers. A noteworthy aspect of her that was impressive enough to catch even Aizen's eye. She was beyond beautiful and she was strong willed, with a charming smile and a quick witted intellect that caught the eye of both men and women alike. She had barely been in Las Noches but a day and already the men were flocking to her, the women were scorning her while even Aizen pampered her. She sucked people in like a magnet and devoured them with her charisma.

But all Ulquiorra saw was weakness. There was nothing appealing to him about a beautiful, strong minded woman who refused to put her best qualities to use on account of her reputation. She played the part people had expected her to play and never allowed herself to grow. She had proven that well enough when she failed to honestly answer Aizen's inquiries about his treatment of her, simply because she hadn't the guts to stand the thought of someone suffering at the hands of another, no matter how they had wronged her. There was no pity inside him for her kind.

It was an irksome duty, indeed, but he would tend to her. He would see to her every need until she realized that her life depended solely on him, until she would bend and yield to the point that she would no longer have the will to fight and she would simply give in and Aizen would have the proper servant he desired out of her.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes against the harsh desert wind as he stood silently, waiting with his hands buried comfortably within his pockets. The weather had been rather unkind to Hueco Mundo recently, its once delicate and soft breezes had turned into a tempest of dust storms and hurricanes molded of sand and dry air. The cliff he now stood on had relatively removed him from most of the commotion in the valleys below and had afforded him a safe view of the area surrounding his person, preventing any unwanted aggressors from making an easy approach.

As Ulquiorra reopened his eyes, a swift blur of black and white appeared before him without warning. The sudden appearance of the apparition had done little more to the atmosphere than kick up a single tuft of sand. It curled around a pair of small feet, only to be whisked away by the wind and sent back into the deserts where it belonged.

Onyx blue hair framed a pair of sharp, alert grey eyes set into the stern face of Captain of the Second Division of the Gotei Thirteen. The petite woman stared Ulquiorra down in tense silence as the air seemed to prickle with electricity emitted by the woman. He could sense the hostility radiating from her in waves as he patiently waited for her to announce herself.

"You one of Aizen's men?" She asked with a restrained calmness that contradicted her stern features.

"Yes." Ulquiorra answered quietly.

"Then you know why I'm here." The woman stated firmly. Her voice was steady and even a little harsh for such a small female, but it did nothing to dampen the seething vibe her reiatsu was emanating. Ulquiorra said nothing as he continued to watch the woman with unwavering eyes, waiting for her to get to the point. "I am Captain Soifon of the Gotei Thirteen. I've been sent here on orders from Captain Commander Genryusai Yamamoto to deliver important documentation regarding the delicate circumstances of the war between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo."

"Documentation?" He inquired.

"Yes, it would seem you have something that belongs to us." She said as her eyes narrowed.

"Are you insinuating something, Captain?" His calm voice implied. "To my knowledge, everything within Las Noches has always belonged to Lord Aizen…and always will."

"I see," Soifon smirked mockingly. "Then I would presume that your knowledge is lacking, Cifer-san."

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed sharply.

The woman before him released a half chuckle and allowed her smirk to widen. "Could it be that you Hollows don't take too kindly to insults," She began. "Or perhaps you're just wondering how I know your name?" In an instant, her smirk vanished and was replaced once more by her fierce scowl. "Those were my men you Arrancar killed in the living world, it's my business to know what happens on my squads missions and _who_ my squads are facing." She nearly hissed with much restraint as she kept her features as unmoved as she could manage. Reaching behind her, Soifon's fingers wrapped around her Zanpakuto strapped to her back. "Tell me, were you one of the Arrancar that killed my men that night?" She asked darkly as the air around her became thick and heavy.

"If I said no, would it make you feel any better?" He asked as he watched her for any significant movement should she choose to attack, and expanded his senses a little to get a good, accurate reading into the depth of her strength.

Her smirked returned again, put firmly back in place as it held a slightly more provoking tilt to it. "I guess not," She said. "I'd probably just want to slaughter you, anyways." Her hand tightened around her Zanpakuto and as she did so, Ulquiorra looked away from her to stare off into the distance in a manner that was blatantly dismissive and insulting.

Soifon grit her teeth.

"If I'm not mistaken, I was under the impression you were here to do business on more pressing matters…" He said, completely diverting the topic from her fervent sense of personal justice.

Without a word, the Shinigami Captain pulled her hand away from her sword and straightened herself from the slightly provoking posture she had been in. After several seconds of silence, she firmed her features once more before speaking at him with a brisk impatience and a commanding tone.

"The girl you have in that castle is a betrayer to Soul Society and everything it stands for. By all rights, she is our prisoner and as such, Soul Society is entitled to retrieve her immediately and under any means necessary." She explained critically with her voice deep and confident. Ulquiorra remained silent as the woman's hand moved up to reach for something in the breast of her haori, never taking his eyes off hers, yet remaining keenly aware of her every move as a sealed scroll was brought out from the folds of her clothing. "I am here by order of Commander Yamamoto, as well as Central 46 itself, to inform you that unless both sides are able to come to a temporary ceasefire, severe action can and will be taken to repair this indiscretion. All further information Aizen needs to know is in these documents." She said as she held up the papers.

Ulquiorra eyed the cylinder for a moment before mulling over the message.

_So they want to trade the girl for temporary peace_, Ulquiorra thought to himself as he absorbed the information. It was a wise move on Soul Society's part, no doubt. It would bide them time to focus on strengthening their defenses, as well as organize tactics and political maneuvers to gain deeper information on their enemy. After all, the Shinigami forces did not wholly know exactly what it was Aizen Sosuke wanted…all they truly knew was that a trusted member of their ranks had defected from their creed and was now running astray in the realm of Hueco Mundo. Their only cause for alarm being the hundreds, if not thousands, of Arrancar the man was slowly molding into an army – an army that they had not even known existed until months ago.

Undoubtedly, they could see that such an agreement would never be a permanent solution. Both sides knew a war was coming, the only issue was that neither one was ready for it…but the girl was the perfect excuse to postpone it. One human girl, young and weak, was the ideal candidate to delay a war. Ulquiorra was suddenly starting to see the appeal of having her here. She was going to serve her purpose, and she was going to serve it well.

"Do you have any questions?" She asked coldly, an act of courtesy taken purely out of duty and nothing more. "Or do I need to repeat myself?"

"That will not be necessary," He answered. "If that is all, then I will have to suggest that you leave at once." His soft spoken words carried on the wind as another breeze picked up and blew a swirl of sand between them. "I try not to make it a habit of remaining in the presence of trash longer than-"

Ulquiorra's hand immediately retracted from his pocket to catch the heavy scroll that had been forcibly cast at his face, caught just inches from his nose. Slowly lowering his hand, he stared the woman down in silence as his eyes glittered dangerously when a stray cloud moved overhead to shroud them from the moon above.

"Forgive me," She bit out as she continued in her unrelenting glare. "My hand slipped." And with that last word, the woman turned thereafter and in an instant she was gone, with only the muted whisper of a gust of sand left in her wake.

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He could tell someone was following him. Sensing their presence nearby had not been difficult, which led him to believe the individual was either incredibly sloppy or simply didn't feel bothered to mask the traces of their spiritual pressure. While knowing most of the parties of considerable standing within Las Noches and each of their individual reiatsu signatures, Ulquiorra had long been aware of whom his pursuer was. As Ulquiorra took a corner and felt the person move in closer, his suspicions were confirmed as Gin Ichimaru approached him from behind, seemingly appearing out of thin air.

"Well, well, what a surprise running into you of all people here, Cuatro-san." The ex Shinigami Captain began amicably. "I would have expected to see you already in the meeting Aizen has called." Gin continued in his friendly voice as he walked along beside him, completely unaffected by Ulquiorra's clear disregard for his company.

"Any particular reason you're running so late today, Cuatro-san?" He inquired curiously.

"Considering you were spying on me, I would expect you of all people to know." Ulquiorra answered.

"Me? Spying?" Gin's wide smile turned downwards into a mock frown. "Now that hurts, Cuatro-san. Such stinging accusations." Angling his head as his smile almost immediately returned full force, Gin locked his hands behind his back and leaned over marginally to examine the pale Espada. "So, how is our delicate flower doing today, Cuatro-san?"

"I wouldn't know." Ulquiorra replied quietly as he maintained his course down the hall.

"_Oh?_" Gin's voice utterly dripped with enthusiasm upon hearing this news. "I thought you were supposed to watch her very, very carefully." He drawled.

"She was fine when I left her this morning," Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed menacingly as they shifted to stare at the man from the corner of his eye. "I wouldn't have expected any unwanted issues to arise in the few hours since I've been gone." He said with slow intention as he carefully gauged the reaction of the man beside him. Suspiciously, Ulquiorra watched Gin for hints that he would have caused the girl any trauma during his absence, in consideration that the silver haired man was so intent to question him about it. Because when Gin Ichimaru showed an interest in discussing something, it usually wasn't for the sake of simple pleasantries.

"My goodness, and here I was under the impression she was entrusted to you by Aizen himself…tsk, tsk, tsk, Cuatro-san…it isn't good to slack off."

"…yes." Ulquiorra answered belatedly and let his eyes slide back to the hallway ahead of him after seeing no real indication that Gin was particularly interested in bothering the girl.

"I heard she made quite the uproar in the fourth tower last night, Cuatro-san." Gin's smile nearly showed his teeth as he watched the accompanying man like a hawk, looking for any visible signs of irritation. His grin became positively wicked when he saw the tiny, nearly imperceptible twitch at the corner of Ulquiorra's mouth. Leaning in several degrees further to get a good look at the pale man's face, Gin let his smile melt away as his sharp, blue eyes split open just a fraction to peer out from behind his lashes. "That cheek's still looking a little red…Cuatro-san."

Ulquiorra immediately stopped, his stiff figure standing directly before the large entryway that led to the conference room. Without saying a word, his eyes once again shifted to the slender man beside him.

"You should hurry, Cuatro-san, you're already late enough as it is." Gin smiled as his tone and features returned to their normal, mysteriously cheerful façades. "I also must be on my way," He turned and continued on down the path that they had been taking. "I have a date with a beautiful woman to keep." He grinned over his shoulder before he completely turned away and left.

Not bothering to waste a second on watching the retreating man's back, Ulquiorra pushed open one of the double doors before him to reveal the familiar and spacious room where Aizen frequently held his meetings.

"Ah, it's so nice to see you've finally joined us, Ulquiorra." Aizen greeted politely as Ulquiorra stepped into the room, smiling at him from the head seat of his table filled with his prized Espada.

"My apologies, Lord Aizen."

"It is of no real consequence," Aizen lifted his hand from the table and waved it before him lightly in a slight gesture, dismissing the occurrence as nothing more of importance. "However…" He began a little darkly and allowed his eyes to zero in on the pale Espada. "If you do not produce a good enough reason as to why you returned here without the head of that invading Shinigami, I fear I may not find myself as lenient, Ulquiorra." He warned.

Further down the table, the unrestrained cackles of Nnoitra were about as subtle as a siren in the hush of the room as the rest of the council remained silent.

"Of course, My Lord, forgive me," He said as he approached the table and stopped beside Aizen's chair to produce the parchment sent by Soul Society from the inner breast of his jacket. "But I was instructed to deliver this to you." As Ulquiorra held the scroll by one end, Aizen reached over with a delighted expression and took the documents.

"Oh…what have we here?" He smiled heartily, as if he didn't already know the answer.

"It was delivered here by a woman claiming to be a Captain from the Gotei Thirteen." Ulquiorra explained as Aizen unscrewed the container and tilted it until the papers fell into his hand.

"A Captain?" Aizen inquired curiously. "The Commander must be very concerned about its contents if he sent a Captain to tend to a delivery man's job." He surmised. "Did she offer her name, by any chance? Was it, Soifon?" His brow arched inquisitively as he asked.

"Yes, My Lord."

Aizen grinned with a mischievous type of sympathy. "I imagine she is just as delightful to converse with as usual, no?"

"Exceedingly," He answered dryly and Aizen chuckled.

When Aizen distractedly motioned with his hand for Ulquiorra to take his place at the table, the pale man complied and took the few short paces to his seat situated at Aizen's right before sitting. "I'm quite anxious to see what Yamamoto was so excited over as to send one of his own Captains to attend such a menial job." He said just as he began to unroll the thick parchment.

"Whatever it is, I would not implicitly trust the word of a Shinigami." Baraggan intoned strictly from his place near the end of the table, making sure to insert his advice into the conversation before Aizen got too worked up over this new development.

"I believe they wish to negotiate an armistice with Las Noches." Ulquiorra said as Aizen continued to silently read over the bold words written on the document.

"An armistice?!" Nnoitra bellowed. "With those assholes? That's a rather asinine idea." Kicking his chair back onto its hind legs, Nnoitra crossed his feet atop the table as he leaned back to lock his hands behind his head. "I'd rather eat shit than cooperate with those freaks." He said before he leaned over and crudely spat upon the ground to scorn the title of Shinigami that much further.

"Hey Ulquiorra," Yammy inquired loudly from the furthest end of the table. "Just what the hell's an armistice, anyways? Some kind of rodent?"

"…fucking moron." Nnoitra muttered under his breath.

"What'd you say?" Yammy quickly bristled.

"I said you're a fucking moron, a pea brain." Nnoitra retorted. "If you don't know what the fuck we're talking about, then just keep your trap shut."

"We should not get so hastily worked up about this discussion already," Harribel interjected calmly. "As of yet, we are not fully aware of what their plans are, nor do we know why or under what reasoning they would go to such lengths as to request a truce."

"As for Soul Society, it is a move that they must make," Szayel explained with a smirk.

"What do you mean, 'they must make'?" Nnoitra scoffed. "If they had any balls at all, they should have come barging into Hueco Mundo months ago instead of hiding behind their shitty walls like a bunch of cowards!" He exclaimed and slammed the heel of his boot onto the table to emphasize his point. "They're scared of getting their ass kicked, that's what it is!"

With a sigh, Szayel rubbed at his temples for a moment before crossing his fingers under his chin and resting his elbows delicately on the table. "They have no other choice at the moment but to try and negotiate, thus they also must gamble with the chance that we may not be completely ready for a full blown war, either. They are riding on the hope that we will have to accept their offer without delay."

"Bullshit!" Nnoitra argued. "We're ready for anything at anytime!" The front legs of his chair clattered back onto the floor as the tall man leaned forward to pound his fist on the table in much the same manner that he had with his foot. "_Mine_ will be the first face that the next Shinigami who sets foot in Hueco Mundo sees." He said ruthlessly. "…and also the last."

"Now, now, Nnoitra," Aizen chided casually as he finished reading through the document. "War is not solely about fighting." He glanced at the dark haired man while he rolled the parchment back up with ease.

"Keh, I can hardly believe that." He stated callously. "War is violence and blood and rape and slaughter, nothing more. People just use land and religion and currency as excuses." Aizen leaned forward on the table and rested his chin in his hand as he listened to his subordinate talk with much gusto. "No, it's all about _power_." Nnoitra said deeply, making an enthusiastic gesture with his fist.

"Lord Aizen, if I may," Zommari spoke up just then, as he was more interested in learning about what kind of information the document contained rather than Nnoitra's ramblings. "What is it exactly that the Gotei Thirteen want? Do they truly just expect a truce to be brought forth with no prior indication of an interest in peace? It is all rather sudden."

"And suspicious." Baraggan added.

"You are all correct in your assumptions, my comrades." Aizen said. "There is a reason for this shift in balance to have been brought about so abruptly." His soft smile seemed to widen just then as, right on cue, a noise was heard at the far end of the hall. It captured the attention of the table's seated occupants and they all turned their eyes in the direction of the two figures that had just entered through the adjoining doorway.

"Well, fuck me…" Nnoitra grinned lecherously while the table erupted into a fit of mummers and politically driven whispers tossed from one Espada to the next.

"Some of you may recall, several days ago, I sent a group led by Ulquiorra into the living world to retrieve something of importance to me," Aizen explained as Gin escorted a nervous Orihime closer to the table before finally stopping by Aizen's side. "_This_ is my prize." He stated as he reached over and hooked a lock of her long hair around his finger, pulling it over to gently caress his lips like an endearing suitor would to his beloved. "Lovely, isn't she?" He inquired to the table and Orihime stiffened and shuddered at the unwelcoming feeling she was receiving from the room's occupants.

She felt as if each pair of eyes were searing right through her while she stood before them, now wearing one of their own uniforms, feeling open and vulnerable. The dress she'd been given exposed her shoulders and, even though she had been promised a jacket to cover herself, she had not received one.

"So she's what all the fuss has been about?" Starrk asked as he stared at her with lazy eyes while his cheek rested heavily in his palm.

"Yes, my friends, she is what Soul Society wishes to trade for a ceasefire." He announced in order to quickly and easily answer all of their questions. From beside him, Orihime nearly gasped and when her face turned white at hearing such news, she feared she may have to reach out for the table to steady herself.

_Soul Society wanted to…trade her?_ She thought despondently.

Were they truly going to use her in such a manner?

"Hell, if this is the kind of payoff they're willing to bargain with, we should've started a war with them a hell of a lot sooner." Nnoitra quipped.

"Please, have a seat, my dear." Aizen urged while Gin ushered her to the only empty seat at the table, Grimmjow's, directly to the left of Aizen and straight across from Ulquiorra. Taking her seat silently, she gave a short glance to her pale warden situated adjacent to her. His back was straight and his eyes were staring directly into hers in such an unabashed manner that it made her look away. It was a strong, brazen glare that gave her the impression he was not pleased to see someone of her standing seated at this table.

"I must know, Orihime," Aizen addressed her and she was not so sure she would ever become used to him referring to her in such a casual manner. "How do you feel at hearing such news? I'm sure it makes you very happy to know that here, in Las Noches, is where your friends want you to be, does it not?" He smiled in that wicked way of his while his brown eyes dug into her own.

She swallowed hard as she kept her eyes glued onto the table, clasping her hands tightly in her lap as she slowly nodded in agreement.

"My Lord!" Zommari suddenly interjected in a small fit of fervor before immediately regaining his stiff composure. "I am compelled to say my word in this matter that I do not agree with this situation. Nor the stipulations laid out by Soul Society and their peace treaty." He objected.

"But it is not a peace treaty, Zommari," Aizen said. "It is an armistice, they are two very different things."

"I must say, as much as it displeases me to agree with any of the reprobates at this table, I am of the same mind on the matter. The girl is useless to us and a disgrace to the name of the Espada."

"I am also in agreement on the matter." Harribel concurred.

"Friends, friends," Aizen implored. "You have yet to even get to know my dear Orihime, she is quite the rare specimen."

"I'll bet she is…" Nnoitra muttered as his eyes raked over her chest.

"I very much agree with you, Lord Aizen." Szayel said pleasantly, not two seats down from her own. "I think she will be a fascinating addition to your collection." He stated and as he angled his head forward to get a good look at her, Orihime felt a shiver go down her spine at the strange and mentally perverse vibe he was giving off.

"Come, my dear," Aizen began as he urged her to stand up once again. "Let us show them what you can do." He said as if to display all the depth and candor of his faith in her.

"I do not see how a mere slip of a girl could possibly posses any qualities that would be fully capable of impressing an army composed of elite warriors such as myself. Let alone performing any of her duties to a proper degree in any circumstance, look at the insect, you can practically hear her knees chattering together in her fear and cowardice." Baraggan scoffed.

"Well, we could put it to a vote." Yammy suggested dumbly and was determined to be a part of the discussion. "You know, see who wants to keep her and who doesn't."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up already?" Nnoitra snapped.

"Like I give a fuck what you say?" Yammy retorted and leaned forward menacingly, daring him to make one more insult about his intelligence.

"Besides, we don't have enough people here for a vote, you nitwit. Luppi's disappeared and who the hell knows where Grimmjow's gone-"

Seemingly, as if called upon by the conjuring of his name, the familiar sound of the large double doors being pushed open with much force echoed through the air of the room like a shot, nearly knocking the doors off their hinges before slamming into the walls behind them immediately afterwards, splintering the ramparts. Stepping forward to reveal his shocking blue hair, Grimmjow's grin was wild and arrogant, yet held a hint of sedated contentment liken to an animal that had just had its way with his prey.

"Someone call for me?" With his clothes torn and bloody, Grimmjow walked forward like he owned the room, nearly causing Nnoitra to scowl.

"Where the fuck you been?" He asked casually.

"Around." Grimmjow answered.

"Yeah, well, don't look now, but you've been replaced again."

Grimmjow's hackles literally raised at that moment as his seething eyes shot over to his seat where Nnoitra was lazily pointing, only to stop short at seeing Orihime standing near his chair wearing a new uniform and a worried expression. "Princess!" He suddenly grinned wickedly whilst he approached her. "My, my," He began as he slowly circled her stiff figure, carefully examining her new attire and her bare shoulders before lowering his voice intently. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He whispered near her ear as he leaned down to take a deep whiff of her skin, just shy of the nape of her neck.

Orihime felt her cheeks both blanche and blush at once as she immediately turned her face away from his when he came around beside her and stood a little too close for comfort.

As if something foul and offending had affronted his senses, Grimmjow's brows suddenly narrowed as an unpleasant look quickly filled his eyes before diverting his focus to the man sitting across the table from her. "Too bad you're already starting to smell like that prick." He glared and allowed his frown to deepen after receiving nothing more in return from Ulquiorra than the usual empty stare. "So, anyone wanna tell me what all the pissy faces are about?" He asked abruptly as he pulled his seat out and leaned back in it enough to cross his feet on the table in a very relaxed and somewhat disrespectful manner, much the same as Nnoitra had done.

"Nobody wants to keep Lord Aizen's new pet over there." Nnoitra informed offhandedly before his eyes fell over her body once more. "I say keep her around, she's nice enough to look at, anyways."

Aizen closed his eyes and rhythmically tapped the roll of paper against the table repeatedly as he listened to his subordinates continue to discuss the affair amongst themselves, finding it highly amusing that they still believed they actually had a say in the matter.

"Fuck yeah we keep her," Grimmjow stated loudly. "The bitch brought my arm back."

Several eyes widened in the room at the announcement and a hush slipped over the table as one by one, Orihime could feel each of their stares grazing over her, trying to reason out how such a monumental task had been accomplished by such a seemingly normal girl.

"She was the one that did that?" Nnoitra questioned skeptically.

"Fascinating…" Szayel breathed and adjusted his glasses to get a better look. The man couldn't seem to take his eyes off her, completely transfixed as he was.

"Where the fuck did you think it came from?" Grimmjow scoffed. "That I just grew it back?" The man rolled his eyes to the side at their ignorance as he scratched at the back of his head.

"I don't believe it." A firm voice suddenly broke the stupor that had fallen over the room.

"And just what don't you believe?" Grimmjow asked as he eyed the black man seated stiffly next to him.

"I refuse to believe it until I see it." He reiterated. "No mere human could have such advanced power…and for her to do so would be an offense to Lord Aizen even if she did." He affirmed as he continued to stare straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact with such an individual as lowly as Grimmjow.

"My dear friends," When he finally spoke up, Aizen's voice split through the conflicting arguments like a knife, silencing each of them in an instant. "Do you truly believe me to be such an arrogant and uncaring ruler that I would demand of you to put immediate faith in this girl without first providing evidence of her worthiness?" From beside him, Gin smiled at their foolishness. "Out of the understanding of my heart, this is the reason I have gone through the trouble of preparing a presentation for you to witness her strength firsthand and erase all doubt." As he said this, a pair of Arrancars entered through the open doorway into the room, escorting a single male Arrancar of unknown origins.

Orihime gasped when they got closer, however, as she quickly recognized the Hollow as the deaf mute man that brought her trays of food on a regular basis. His pinstriped suit and Hollow mask was unmistakable.

"What are you going to do to him?" She demanded as she whipped her head around to glare at Aizen in a manner that was at once both pleading and unyielding.

"Nothing much, my dear," Aizen explained. "We're just going to remove a few body parts for you to regenerate. You will do this for me, won't you…Orihime?" He asked smoothly and suddenly she had a terrifying flashback to the morning when he'd shown her the Hogyoku, the way his voice had been soft and sweet, but positively dripping with danger.

Looking at the male before her in shackles, Orihime slowly shook her head as she took a step away from him, trying to create some distance. He was shaking with his head hanging low and his wrists bound behind his back. "I won't…I won't do it." She said quietly as pure trepidation filled her eyes. She wanted to put more space between them, because she knew they were going to make her do it…and they were going to make her watch.

When the two guards shoved the Hollow forward, bending him over the edge of the table to slam him face first onto the slab, Orihime nearly screamed in protest at seeing the men drawing their blades to dismember him.

"Please!" She suddenly cried, turning on her heel to rush to Aizen's side. "I'll do anything…anything but that!" At the same time, she'd called on her Santen Kesshun and erected a shield around the man, a meager defense in a room where she was surrounded by literal monsters stronger than she could ever imagine.

When the shield was broke and shattered away without much effort, Orihime considered erecting another one, but she knew it would be futile. Hardening her nerves, the girl pressed her lips together tightly before steeling herself for what she was about to do.

"Please…" She said as she knelt beside him and pressed her tearstained cheek to his forearm in an immensely crushing display of humiliation, leaving the room speechless. "_Please_…" She implored deeply as her hands squeezed the arm of his chair tightly. It felt disgraceful and wrong, but her pride wasn't worth it, not for something like this, not when she lacked the strength her friends possessed, a type of strength that would have allowed her the power to spare that man and her pride.

"Don't cry, my dear," Aizen soothed softly as he reached over to pet her head gently. Orihime felt sick. "It's not as if we're going to kill him…" He said as his eyes glanced up to the man seated next to him. "…right, Ulquiorra?" He smiled wickedly.

"But…it's so cruel." She whispered despairingly and looked up at him with watery eyes, tears that were brought on by frustration and inner conflict. "Please don't hurt him, I couldn't bear it."

"Perhaps…" He indirectly agreed. "But you did promise to help me, did you not?" His eyes held not an ounce of mercy or compassion and Orihime felt her heart sink even lower than what it already was.

"Then cut off my arms, instead." She quickly said and even felt her own stomach flip at the very notion of such a thing.

"Hey, princess," Grimmjow said roughly. "Don't be so melodramatic. Just fucking do it and get it over with."

"I won't." She said as she lowered her face in an act to prevent them from viewing any more of her tears. "Even if you harm him, I won't help you, not unless you cut off my arms, as well." She replied in a deep, determined tone as she was finally able to regain some of her strength.

Grimmjow frowned as he looked at her, his brows furrowing at her selfless behavior.

"My Lord, if I may…" Ulquiorra spoke up just then, gaining his masters attention. "Perhaps we should substitute myself, instead." Orihime's eyes bolted upwards to him the moment the words left his lips. "If it will hasten along the process, as well as silence her complaints in knowing the subject is willing, it is an equally logical choice." He explained with his voice quiet and his eyes closed as he proposed his thoughts.

"How very noble of you, Ulquiorra." Aizen's smile positively glowed. "And such a smart suggestion."

"Of course, My Lord." He replied calmly. "However, it is less to do with chivalry and more with rationale. I believe it would be unwise to allow the woman to harm herself, as it is unknown how it will affect her, let alone if she is even capable of using her powers on herself. It may render her completely useless to you if you allow her to damage herself in such a worthless manner."

"I must say," Aizen said as he leaned into his palm again. "You do always find a way around my plans, Ulquiorra." He smirked as he waved the guards away dismissively, wordlessly ordering them to remove the mute Hollow. "If it wasn't so clever…I might just be concerned."

"I object!" Nnoitra bellowed and slammed his fist onto the table angrily. "I've heard rumors that bastard can regenerate his whole fucking body faster than a goddamned cephalopod!" He protested. "I don't trust it, this reeks of a setup."

"Is that so, Nnoitra?" Aizen inquired and placed his hand back against Orihime's head to softly pet her hair, making her squirm and want to suddenly move away from him. "Or perhaps it is just that you wish to see my dear Orihime here suffer through more appalling misery than necessary?" Nnoitra was a little taken back by the twinkle lighting Aizen's eyes, but he stood his ground.

"I couldn't give a damn if she cried until her eyes shriveled up into fucking raisins." He said as he suddenly gestured down the table towards Ulquiorra. "How the hell am I supposed to know if that fucker isn't pulling the wool over our eyes?" He prodded tauntingly at the pale man, only to be ignored.

"You do bring forward a sensible point, Nnoitra." Aizen praised. "However, if she truly is nothing more than a plain mortal girl, then would you rather volunteer?" He questioned. "Certainly, you would gladly offer up own your arm in the event that she is proven a fraud?"

Nnoitra's toothy grin quickly fell as he looked away, seceding any further argument.

"If there are no additional protests…" Aizen trailed off and deliberately left a moment of silence to hang from his words in an undisputable manner to let the table know he would not accept any more objections that would waste his time. "Then please, proceed." He nodded his head slowly to the man beside him, urging him to move forward with the demonstration that had been previously disrupted.

Orihime pushed herself to her feet as she watched her warden stand and make his way around the corner of the table to her side. She felt her stomach flip again simply at the thought of watching a man being dismembered in any manner, willingly or not. If she couldn't stand the image of such a thing in her mind, Orihime wasn't sure whether she was going to be able to tolerate witnessing it firsthand.

The girl mentally shook herself back to reality.

She'd seen terrible wounds before and had even received a few painful injuries herself. This would be no different.

"Ulquiorra," Aizen's voice intervened as Ulquiorra's hand began to reach for his sword. "I do hate to see a good uniform go to waste…" He said as he observed the pale man from the corner of his eye, and Ulquiorra complied.

"I…I wish you wouldn't do this to yourself." Orihime whispered nervously and watched his hand move from his sword to the zipper of his jacket. Her hands shook slightly as she clasped them together tightly and began picking at her nails feverishly when he didn't respond.

When Ulquiorra pulled down the zipper and removed his pristine white coat, Orihime felt a blush rising on her cheeks despite herself and quickly glanced away. "I'm sorry if it hurts…" She muttered as he tossed the clothing onto the table, completely ignoring her apologetic words as he pulled out his sword. "This is all my fault, I shouldn't have-"

Orihime made a grave noise of distress in the back of her throat as he suddenly sliced off his arm, pushing the blade upwards from his underarm in a single, swift motion. Orihime's shaking hands nearly reached forward on impulse to catch the discarded appendage as it fell to the floor before immediately stopping herself as her watery eyes looked up into his.

She opened her mouth and then abruptly shut it, shocked at his complete and utter lack of response to an action that should have called for horrific pain. He was entirely blasé. His callous behavior towards the matter had stunned her and her eyes slowly wandered back down to his shoulder where more and more blood was beginning to pour out from the self-inflicted wound.

"Woman." His said sternly and the firmness of his voice instantly broke her from her daze. Without another thought, Orihime brought her hands forward and called out her Shun Shun Rikka.

"Soten Kisshun," She said softly. "I reject." The familiar feeling of voicing the incantation helped to focus her and she stared curiously at his calm face as the glittering golden glow wrapped around his shoulder and extended down his torso. His eyes were closed and he was quiet as he patiently waited for her to finish, appearing very composed.

"How very interesting," Orihime jerked slightly when she heard the voice so close behind her. She turned to see a bespectacled, rosette haired man examining her every move. When he had gotten so close to her, she was uncertain, but she redoubled her efforts to concentrate on her task as he continued to lean in and scrutinize the method in which she was working. "Just what kind of power is this, Lord Aizen?" He asked inquisitively even as he persisted in his observations. "It must be some form of spatial replication or alteration." He concluded.

"Ulquiorra had a similar theory," Aizen chuckled. "However, it is a far greater power. It is event rejection." He stated and was undoubtedly pleased to see some of the disbelieving looks his Espada were giving him. "Most of her abilities are actually very similar to Kido, but much more rare and advanced. It is very complex." He stated and his words caught Orihime's attention as she recalled what Hachi had explained to her before about the likeness of their powers. "And because of it, that is why this specific aspect of her power that you now see before you, is what makes her so wonderful…and worthy enough to bargain a nation's security with." As Aizen's words spread through the room in a smooth baritone, Orihime watched as the last of Ulquiorra's arm slowly came together, his fingers swiftly reforming and bringing about an end to the process.

"There," She said hesitantly as the glow of her fairies faded before retreating back into their respective ornaments nestled in her hair. "It's all done now, how does it feel?" She asked as she looked up to his impassive face, searching his features for any sign of emotion, be it pain, relief, gratitude, she simply wanted to see _something_.

"It is sufficient." He said as he leaned past her to reach for his jacket, making avert her eyes and blush even harder as his bare chest nearly brushed hers. She had been trying not to look, but with him so close she was rather amazed to see he was far more muscular than she had originally thought. With each band of muscle appearing as if it was so tightly wound under his skin, she feared they may snap.

"My Lord, I must have her," Szayel implored enthusiastically. "You must give her to me." He said as Orihime dazedly watched Ulquiorra turn away from her whilst sliding his jacket back up his shoulders.

"Bullshit!" Nnoitra suddenly exclaimed, nearly making Orihime jump as she was so unused to such abrupt and coarse outbursts of his nature. "If anybody gets the bitch, it's going to be me, I'm the only one at this table that'd actually know how to show her a good time." He jeered and motioned to her in an utterly debauching manner, making the blush on Orihime's face quickly spread to the roots of her hair at the debasing motion he'd made with his tongue and fingers.

"There is nothing that would please me more than to give her to both of you, my friends." Aizen smiled. "But I must confess, I have already given her to Ulquiorra and she has grown rather fond of him so quickly. I couldn't bear to take her from him now, it would be so cruel, wouldn't you agree?" He queried as he arched his brow charmingly and Grimmjow suddenly scoffed from beside him. "However, I'm sure Ulquiorra would never be as selfish as to keep her all to himself, would you?" He said as he turned his attention on the man.

"Of course not, My Lord." Ulquiorra answered placidly as he took his seat at the table once more, zipping his jacket up in the process.

"See?" Aizen stated pleasantly. "I have no doubts in my mind that Ulquiorra will be more than willing to share her company. In fact, why don't we go ahead and schedule an appointment for you to take her to Szayel's laboratory as soon as the week is through, shall we not?" Aizen said as if it was just a grand idea, prompting an unrestrained grin to grow on Szayel's face.

"If that is what you wish, My Lord." He said with measured control as he held his hands close and slowly drummed his fingers together in a manner that left Orihime apprehensive and leery as if he were plotting some heinous misdeed to humanity.

"Good, then it is settled. Anyone who wishes to visit her will do so then." Aizen announced as he gracefully stood from his chair. "Now, if there are no more reservations about our guest…" He said and once again left a deliberate pause to insure there were no unwelcome objections. "…our meeting is adjourned." He decreed and watched as the party of Espada began to rise from their seats. "Before you leave, however, I feel I am compelled to remind each of you that if a single hair is harmed on my dear Orihime's head…you will have far more to worry about than a simple demotion." He warned gravely. "That is all."

As the occupants began to scatter and the commotion started to settle down, Aizen leaned back in his chair once more as he reached forward to wrap his fingers around the handle of a delicate, porcelain tea cup, his eyes watching amusedly as Orihime instinctually, and most probably unconsciously, made her way to Ulquiorra to be led back to her room.

It was rather amazing to witness how quickly humans could become attached. And with so little prompting, too…

"One minute, Ulquiorra," Aizen called and gestured for him to return when both he and Orihime turned to glance at him over their shoulder. "If I could have a moment of your time?"

Orihime waited in her place as she watched him silently return to the table, folding her hands in front of her as she glanced at the floor to examine a small tarnish that had scarred the polish of the tiling. "Gin, please return Orihime to her room for me." He requested.

The silver haired man smiled at Ulquiorra as he quickly acquiesced to Aizen's request and gave him a small, but rather flaunty, single armed bow. "Of course, I would be most pleased to accompany the lady." He stated a little too impishly, his sarcasm was thick and yet it was present in a way that was not openly offensive or clownish. Gin stared down the pale man that stood at the edge of the table, patiently awaiting his orders with his hands buried in his pockets, causing Gin to smile even more wickedly than usual as he passed him by. "Don't worry, Cuatro-san," He assured in a tone that very much sounded like false comfort. "I'll take good care of her." He jabbed, taking utter delight in Ulquiorra's unrelenting aloofness.

"Thank you, Gin." Aizen said with the faintest hint of a drawl in his voice, as he was always amused with the persistent man's inexorable and laborious efforts to get under Ulquiorra's skin, as well as any of his other Espada, just for the sake of a fleeting thrill.

As Gin disappeared with Orihime out the door and their footsteps faded into the echoes on the walls, Aizen glanced up at Ulquiorra affably and sighed. "What a tiresome group, they are." He said without much grievance in his voice. "Would you like a cup of tea, Ulquiorra?" Aizen offered as he leaned forward to begin writing something on a blank sheet of high quality letterhead.

"No, My Lord," He answered and cut straight to the point. "Do you intend to approve the armistice proposed by Soul Society?"

"For the time being," He replied as he dipped the tip of his pen into a pot of ink before continuing to write. "I am quite intrigued by their idea of an armistice, however, it is not what I was fully expecting, but it is a much better solution than what I originally had in mind…and what do you think, Ulquiorra?" Aizen queried as he leaned his temple against his forefinger and gauged the pale man. "What are your thoughts on this temporary contract?"

"I believe it is a sensible move…on both parts."

"Good," Aizen smiled. "I can always depend on you to have such shrewd judgment, Ulquiorra." He said as he set his pen down and began to roll the parchment up loosely. "I need you to deliver this for me."

"Whom will I be delivering it to in Soul Society?"

"Unfortunately, Soul Society is not an available option at the moment. It will become too troublesome for you to try and break through its walls just to send them a message, especially with their tightened security patrolling all sectors of the Seireitei." He said as he ran his forefinger contemplatively over his bottom lip and took a moment to reflect on the matter. "…it is better to carry out this business on neutral ground," Aizen explained as he held out the parchment for Ulquiorra to take. "This must be delivered to an individual capable of mediating between both worlds…someone who is at once both impartial and yet delegated." He said as Ulquiorra reached forward and took the papers.

"I want you to deliver this to Ichigo Kurosaki."

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TBC

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**Oh my goodness! I sure seem to like chopping Ulquiorra's arms off! It certainly is fun, though! : )**

**Please forgive the late update, oh, that was so terrible of me! And thank you so, so much to my beautiful reviewers, gosh, you're all so sweet it makes my teeth hurt! Y_Y **


	5. Chapter 5

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CHAPTER 5

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Orihime had discovered that trying to discuss the subject of Rangiku Matsumoto with Gin Ichimaru was about as easy as lassoing the moon.

Presently, she had been struggling to instigate conversation with him for the past several minutes, but to no avail. Every time she had even attempted to mention the name of Rangiku Matsumoto or Kira Izuru, he had skillfully and masterfully steered the direction of the dialogue to other, less meaningful matters before a single word ever had the chance to leave her mouth. Despite his smile and his deceptively friendly mannerisms, the man had proven himself harder to read than the cold, white walls around her.

It had disheartened her greatly. She had tried so hard to reach him the other day and now, without her even citing a syllable, Gin Ichimaru had seemingly foresaw her intent and cleverly took control over the exchange.

"So, my little flower of Hueco Mundo, how does it feel to finally be the center of everyone's undivided attention?" With his hands tucked together in the folds of his oversized sleeves, he offered her a smile over his shoulder. After a moment's hesitation, Orihime graciously accepted the message and yielded in her endeavor to speak of the blonde haired, beautiful woman he had left behind.

"It's…not as satisfying as I had once thought it would be." She fully admitted, as she found there would be no purpose in lying about it.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it," He grinned. "I'll bet you'll even come to enjoy living here. It can be quite entertaining at times." As they rounded a wide corner, Gin took a moment to slow his gait, allowing her to catch up with him and keep a steady pace by his side.

"I don't think I'll ever enjoy this place." She disagreed. "Especially the nights, I've never heard anything quite like it."

"Ah, you mean the beautiful music of Hueco Mundo?" He inquired.

"I would hardly call that beautiful." Orihime said seriously, as if the thought of it offended her. "There are…things trying to get into my room." She confessed, albeit with a measure of unwillingness, as she was still afraid that her claims would be refuted for being foolish and childlike. She had always known most of her acquaintances viewed her as gullible, and even though they never considered her to be irresponsible, she was often seen as an individual who was simple minded, too trusting and by most standards, a day dreaming fantasist. Unintentionally, her friends had labeled her as weak and defenseless before she was ever given a chance to prove the contrary. She was the singularity in their group that could always be depended upon to need protection, not give it.

So, when Gin Ichimaru had looked at her without an ounce of judgment or incredulity in his voice and said, "There's nothing much to worry about," Orihime had been astonished, and even grateful, that he had not questioned or doubted the authenticity of her claims. He had taken her word for it. "Most of the Hollows that lurk around the citadels at night are of even lesser standing than Gillians. They hang around Las Noches during the late hours of the evening looking for scraps and free meals." Gin explained to her.

"Weaker than Gillians?" Orihime queried further as she looked up at him with curious eyes, observing his enduring smile.

"Yes, considering most of the Hollows with relatively higher intelligence and strength, such as the Adjuchas, have been hiding out in the underground forests recently, it has left the sand dunes around Las Noches relatively calm and barren." He assured.

"Why is that?" Orihime blinked as she absorbed the information, certain that there must have been a critical reason for such a strong class of Hollows to be driven from their natural environment. "I'm not very familiar with Hueco Mundo, but it does sound a little…unnatural."

Gin gave her a long, casual shrug. "I suppose most of them are frightened of the Arrancar Aizen has created. So they seclude themselves to survive…or perhaps they're just shy." He said and when he angled his head towards her slightly and smiled, Orihime couldn't resist the infectiously cheerful façade he offered and readily returned the gesture with one of her own.

"It is still a cold comfort for me when I see them at night." She said with a small grin, completely infected by his smile.

"Well," Gin began as they continued down the hall. "Would ya like to know a trick that will make them go away?" He proposed as he leaned down slightly and gave her a broad and considerably mischievous smile. "I could tell you, if you want."

Orihime pursed her lips together and lowered her head to try and stop the eager smile tugging at her lips, but failed when she quickly looked back up and nodded willingly as it suddenly erupted on her face with a bright exultance. "Yes," She admitted eagerly as her smile brightened. "Very much."

It had been days since she could remember smiling…

"It's very, very simple, mind you," He started to explain slowly as he steadily and leisurely leaned down towards her person inch by inch as if revealing a great secret, completely captivating her. "And you must only use this technique when you absolutely, positively have no other choice." He said and watched with delight as she hung on his every word, her own person beginning to impatiently lean forward by the second, as if prompting him to continue. "All you have to do is raise your spiritual pressure." He informed simply.

"Oh…" Orihime nearly pulled back and furrowed her brows, wholly dissatisfied with the dull answer. "That's it?" She asked disbelievingly and eyed him with a measure of skepticism, speculating for a moment if he was even being serious with her.

"Of course it is," He answered affably. "I already told you, it is the slower Hollows of lower intellect that loiter outside of Las Noches. Because of this, they are very prone to mindless instinct." He clarified reasonably. "And what is the number one instinct of a mindless beast?" He inquired of her.

"…survival?" Orihime answered after several seconds of contemplation.

"Exactly," He praised her. "Your spiritual pressure is much stronger than what most of the Hollows outside your room will ever become. When you flex your reiatsu in such a manner that flaunts not only your strength, but your capability in controlling it, they will scatter like cockroaches." He surmised.

"That…actually makes a lot of sense." Her quiet and airy laughter filled the empty corridors like a chime as she mentally berated herself for not thinking of something so straightforward and uncomplicated in the first place.

"I told you it was very simple." He chuckled at her softly as he directed his attention back to the hallway before them, his presence offering a strange, yet hollow comfort.

Orihime glanced up to the man beside her as her laughter died out and her smile began to fade away. There was something about him, something that just seemed so…out of place here. In fact, it seemed more as if it was something that would render him an anomaly in any environment, be it Hueco Mundo, Soul Society or the living world. He was just, different.

She knew it wasn't any of her business, but Orihime just couldn't believe a person would be capable of coldly severing ties with someone who was so deeply molded into their heart, abandoning them like love had never lived inside them at all. It was pitiless and cruel and she had seen what it had done to Rangiku, even if the beautiful woman had never let it show, it was still there in fleeting glances, only noticeable if you had an eye for it.

Orihime _always_ had an eye for it.

It was because of this that Orihime supposed she wanted to believe Gin should be suffering the same mournful loneliness as Rangiku. Or rather, perhaps it merely helped Orihime sleep at night to imagine that Gin couldn't easily walk out on his loved ones and betray them without purpose or reason.

Maybe it was selfishness, maybe it was all for the sake of her own fragile conscious that she wished to discover truth and put her heart at ease. Maybe she just wanted to be able to return home with the ability the tell Rangiku that he still thought about her everyday and that leaving her hadn't been as easy for him as it appeared to be.

Maybe she just wanted to hear one person in this giant, unending castle confess to feeling _love_.

As they arrived at the foot of her door, Orihime reached out to gently touch the sleeve of his uniform. "Aren't you lonely, Ichimaru-san?" She asked with a delicate suddenness.

"Loneliness is a state of mind." Showing absolutely no cracks in his exterior, he smiled at her with a diffused mellowness before turning to push open her door.

"But isn't our state of mind who we are?" She tugged carefully on his sleeve, stopping him from advancing. "Isn't that how we feel?" She inquired forlornly, a hushed tenderness lacing her words. "If everything is forced into a state of inertia…you will eventually become numb."

She stood quietly as she watched him turn to her and smile. A strange and vastly uncomfortable chill ran down her spine when his grin lifted slightly before leaning in to give her a cynical and dark chortle. It was a sound that gave way to memories and remembrances of Kuchiki-san and Soul Society and forced her to recall just why she should be wary of this man. "Only if you have a conscious, my beautiful desert flower." He whispered with quiet sarcasm. "…only if you have a conscious." He intoned as he turned from the doorway to leave. Orihime remained silent as she lowered her eyes from his figure and felt a twinge of sadness fill her heart. "I'll be sure to tell Aizen you thanked him for all the gifts." He said as he waved to her over his shoulder. "Take care…angel face."

_Gifts?_ She thought quizzically while she stared at his retreating back, reflecting on his sobering, yet puzzling words. Orihime stopped her thoughts short when, as she stepped over the threshold, she looked into her quarters to see several new pieces of furniture that had been added into the space during her absence. "What is all this?" She voiced unsurely and advanced further into the room to examine the new arrangements.

Her table had been moved several feet from the end of the sofa and was now sitting adjacent to it near the corner of her rug. As well, it had been given a sturdy, high backed chair to accompany it with several books, sheets of paper and writing utensils that had been set atop the table for personal use. She was most surprised to see a large bed positioned at the furthest end of her room with the window centered just above its headboard. Orihime walked over to examine the new feature curiously, letting her fingers skim across the surface of the covers as she circled the wide mattress.

It was set high off the floor with clean white sheets that appeared to be silk and a comforter that must have had an incredibly high thread count. "At least it looks a bit warmer in here." She reasoned as she turned to inspect the rest of the furnishings. A chifferobe had been situated on the right wall, with a long mirror and many drawers, she could only assume it housed her uniforms and nightclothes.

Even the sofa had been given pillows to soften the room. After inspecting the new cushions for a moment, she looked toward the arm of the settee, where she noticed a small stack of folded white material. Her face almost instantly lit up.

"A jacket!" Orihime stated happily as she rushed over to scoop the fabric up in her hands, unfolding it and shaking out the wrinkles. She bit her lip and mentally scolded herself when she realized she had been talking to herself in an empty room, but thought little of it as she quickly made her way over to the lavatory. After closing the door behind her, she was once again astounded to see the entire space of the room filled with bath salts, exotic soaps, hair accessories, towels and even perfume amongst various other items.

Picking up one of the bottles, she uncapped the lid and took a small whiff. It smelt very mature and subtle, but unsuited to her tastes as she placed the container back on the counter and headed for the mirror, uninterested in the plethora of unwanted items that had been gifted to her.

Unzipping the front of the jacket, she pulled it up her shoulders and glanced at her reflection. It was a very well designed outfit and even though the cloak that billowed down her back was long and wide, it was not heavy or burdensome. Shaking her hair lightly, Orihime studied herself in the mirror one last time, turning this way and that.

She liked it well enough.

Mostly because it felt warm against the chill of Hueco Mundo, despite how thin the fabric felt. She supposed that's all she could really ask for given her circumstances. After all, warm clothing was the only material desire she'd truly yearned for since arriving here.

With a soft sigh, Orihime fretfully tugged on the sleeves of her new jacket as she stepped out of the bathroom and made her way towards the table, intending to inspect the pile of books that had been deposited into her quarters. When a subtle coldness started to spread through her surroundings, her mind was slow in catching up to her senses as a slender figure appeared at her door, announcing its presence.

"Does it fit properly?" A familiar voice inquired, nearly causing Orihime to jump in surprise when she turned to see the harsh silhouette of her warden outlined by the faint light spilling in from the hallway, contrasting hard against the darkness.

"Oh, Ulquiorra," She smiled tentatively before answering. "Yes, it's very comfortable." She stated a bit nervously whilst she continued to pull against her sleeve.

"Good," He said as he strolled forward into the room, filling the air with a stale coldness that she was still slowly growing accustomed to in his presence; a sensation that had once made her skin crawl with displeasure. "It suits you well enough."

Orihime felt her cheeks begin to warm. "You think so?" She inquired as she reached down and lifted the sides of her cape to examine its color, twisting her waist a little to feel the way it stretched and flowed with her body. "Thank you." She said and glanced back up to him, only to realize he was already at the other end of the room, not paying her an ounce of attention. He'd strode towards the edge of her bed and allowed his green eyes to scan over a few of the walls, appearing as if he were distracted by something.

"Is…something the matter?" She asked uncertainly.

"No," He replied as he made his way over to her bathroom. "Have you allowed Gin Ichimaru to enter this room at any point?" He questioned and pushed the door open with the back of his hand, his severe eyes glimpsing in to inspect the adjoining room coldly.

Orihime was confused. "No…he didn't seem very interested in staying, either." She admitted and watched as his eyes seemed to narrow at her words.

"I see," He said and turned away to begin striding back to the exit. "I will be gone for several hours." He informed, completely changing the subject in a cavalier manner that left her baffled. "Do not allow anyone in this room in my absence."

"Wait," Orihime suddenly called when she realized he was about to leave just as abruptly as he had arrived.

"What is it?" Ulquiorra asked and she was glad, at least, when he paused and redirected his attention to her.

"I…" She began and then wavered with indecision before taking a few steps forward to reach his side. "I just wanted to apologize," She said, reaching over to nervously grip her forearm as she glanced up into his eyes. "For how I acted the other night, I shouldn't have done that," She expressed softly as her brown eyes fell to his cheek, tracing the hard lines of his face and the vibrant green of his markings. "When I…I…" Her troubled voice trailed off when her hand began to hesitantly extend out, wanting to gently touch the area that she had struck in request for forgiveness.

And for a brief moment, she thought he was going to let her.

Her stupor was swiftly broken, however, when he turned from her and proceeded to the door without a word.

"Thank you," She intoned quickly and candidly, hoping her words would reach him as she watched him halt once again. "What you did…" She clarified, referring to his actions in the conference room. "You don't know how much that meant to me."

The room was hushed and silent, and as Orihime stared at his back lingering in the doorway, a strange swell of emotion pulsed to life in her chest as she considered his person. She had been here naught but a few days, and already she was feeling lonely and isolated, gravely missing her friends, while Ulquiorra had been her only company, and poor company at that…but, perhaps if she reconciled with him…

"I've actually been thinking about a lot of things," She confessed, twirling her thumbs together anxiously. "And one of them is how badly I seem to have misjudged you."

Ulquiorra turned to regard the girl over his shoulder, and at this small sign of acknowledgement, Orihime took a modest step forward, confident that she had gained his full attention.

"I may not completely agree with how you do things, but…" She paused before she quickly pulled her hands apart and gathered her courage, deciding to just come straight out and get on with her apologies, instead of dragging her words out like an imbecile. "When I look back on it, I've come to realize that even if it was callous of you to hurt them, you didn't kill those men in the senkaimon, and neither did you kill that Shinigami in the park the other night…" She spoke softly as her lashes lowered over her eyes, recalling the incident. "I could still sense his reiatsu along with Omaeda-san's when I entered the garganta. Quite frankly, I hadn't thought I would ever find such kindness here." She dropped her head a bit, feeling mildly ashamed that she had misconstrued his character so horribly. "But I can see I was wrong." She offered him a timid, yet sincere smile as a long silence stretched between them.

"Kindness?" Ulquiorra questioned quietly. "You believe my actions to be a display of mercy?"

"Well," She began and started to fiddle with her dress again. "Yes." She answered frankly as warmth laced her voice.

"You believe me to have…a sympathetic and compassionate heart?" He intoned slowly, fluidly, as he approached her. His eyes cleaved straight into her, and she saw a momentary flicker of something deep within them drowning out the reflection of the moon, something she immediately mistook for sentimentality that had been stirred to life by the mentioning of his heart.

Orihime's smile softened. "You have proved that well enough already." She declared with tempered ardor. And she knew, despite herself, that even though he had seemed callous and unnaturally unemotional at first glance, she had to be wrong. For anyone who was willing to cut off their own arm for the sake of another could never be empty inside. It went against every fiber of her being to consider such a person heartless.

"You would believe that I will care for you," His hushed tones seemed to whisper over her flesh as he deftly reaching forward to wrap a lock of her hair around his finger. "…and comfort you." Smooth and subtle, his voice made Orihime shiver slightly when his finger eased down the silken strand and ever so briefly grazed the curve of her cheek.

"…yes." She replied on a bated breath as her eyes probed his, mesmerized by the way his green orbs followed his finger intently as it slid past her neck before pulling away, coaxing the threads of cinnamon hair to slip from his knuckle like water.

"Does my heart appeal to you, Orihime Inoue?" He inquired silently, and Orihime felt a strange shock splinter outwards from deep within her chest when the cold pad of his finger gently touched the exposed contour of her collar bone, tracing it with slow, paralyzing purpose. The onyx slits of his pupils diligently stalked the appendage as it gradually ghosted over the casing of ivory skin that covered the fragile bone.

Orihime felt lost as her eyes chanced a glance at the thin curve of his lips, tentatively observing the small, innate frown that framed the harsh camber of his mouth and the soft, natural pout that pushed at his bottom lip, betraying the hardness of them, if ever so slightly.

"I…yes, it does." She answered amid a muted whisper.

"Then it would seem as if you have gravely misunderstood my actions." His voice was still soft, still lithe with quiet control as his eyes retreated from the fair glow of her skin and returned to her face, observing the way her delicate brows began to slightly furrow in confusion over her deep chocolate eyes. "Believe me when I say, there is nothing in this world that would offend me more-"

Orihime abruptly took a step back from him, as if he had burned her. Her eyes were wide and glazed as she released a shallow and shuttering breath. "I'm sorry to have offended you." She said shakily, forcing back the annoying and humiliating sting in her eyes as she compelled herself to remain impervious to his vacant and deceptively melancholic stare. Without another word, she watched as he placed his hand back into his pocket and turned from her.

"I'm not here to comfort you, either physically or emotionally," He informed with cold indifference, a cruel promise. Completely unaffected by the hurt in her eyes, he saw fit to give her one finally warning. "I will return before the evening is through. You will not allow anyone in this room while I'm gone," He cautioned in a quiet pledge to the consequences. "If I see evidence to the contrary upon my return…then I will be forced to educate you on just how heartless I can truly be."

.

.

.

"_What is it, Tatsuki?" He had asked. "Tatsuki? Tell me what's wrong." _

_ "It's Orihime…she's disappeared!" She'd said. "Not at her house, not in town, nowhere!" _

_ Ichigo had froze. _

_ "Yesterday, her presence faded and since then, I've looked everywhere, but…I can't find her! She's gone!"_

_ He'd listened as she explained. He'd kept quiet. He'd remained composed. _

_ He'd tried so hard…_

_ "Ichigo." She had approached him then, and Ichigo knew Tatsuki too well to assume she wasn't serious when she suddenly looked up at him with violence in her eyes. "You know where she went, don't you?" She'd accused – it was with good reason._

_ Ichigo had paused, he had been unsure what to do about her, he'd been unsure what to even do about himself… _

_ Ichigo imagined himself someplace far, far away from this mess as he conquered his doubt, composed himself with an aloof demeanor and willed any feelings that had surfaced to be numbed as he was somehow able to muster up just enough emptiness inside him to pretend as if he didn't care. _

_ "What the hell do you mean by that?" He'd sneered, completely unconcerned. "Why would I know anything about that? Besides, are you even sure she's gone?" He had rolled his eyes to the side, appearing exceedingly bored with her and this conversation. "Hell, Tatsuki, maybe you just need to look harder." _

_ Ichigo wasn't surprised when he suddenly felt the lapel of his sweater gripped with a vengeful force. "Stop fucking around!" She'd demanded without mercy, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall. "That presence of hers that I've always felt is gone. The presence I feel when she's close by!" She'd said as she pushed him back against the hallway windows, and Ichigo wondered if she realized just how right she was. "For a while, the presence faded to a point where it seemed like it was trapped behind a wall or something. But then, yesterday, even that faded out!" She persisted vigorously, as if she had to explain it to an infant, just to beat the idea into his head that she knew, even better than she knew her own self, that _something had happened to Orihime_. _

_ "You know something, right?" She pushed again with her fist tightening around his collar by the second, urging him in the only way she knew how, the only way that made sense to Tatsuki, to tell her the truth. To just say it and get it out in the open and just admit what they all already knew. _

"_Ichigo!"_

_ "What the fuck's wrong with you?" He abruptly roared and had unintentionally let the stress of Inoue's abduction and Yamamoto's abandonment of her come through in harsher words and tones than he'd truly intended. "I already told you, I don't know! Something's seriously wrong with you! What are you even talking about?" He had berated cruelly._

_ And the moment he'd looked into her eyes, he wished he could take it back. Even though he hadn't meant it, even though she knew he was faking, even though she'd been hiding how much she felt left out of their friendship recently, when he saw the hurt in her eyes, Ichigo wanted to take it back. _

_ "You…really think I don't know anything?" She'd said and lowered her head slightly. "I have seen you wearing that black kimono and fighting those strange people. Everything you're hiding…Ichigo," She'd paused and looked up to him with the most pleading and vulnerable eyes he'd ever seen the girl bare to anyone, sending guilt straight to his core. "Isn't it enough already? Just tell me." _

_ And for a split second, he'd nearly given in, he'd nearly told her. He had wanted to tell her and promise her he'd bring Inoue back safely and everything would be just the way it was before, but even better. _

_ But he stopped himself. Because he knew dragging her into this was too dangerous, too selfish. Tatsuki wouldn't be one to sit on the sidelines if she knew Inoue had been kidnapped by murderous Arrancar led by an evil tyrant capable of killing her with a wave of his hand…no, Tatsuki would force herself into the situation, and she'd get hurt. _

_ And so he'd frowned and he'd looked down on her like she was just an annoying pest. And he'd managed just enough more of that emptiness inside him, and he'd coldly told her off… _

"Damn it!" Ichigo bellowed. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" He cursed repeatedly as he continued to pound his fist into the rooftop's steel door. Over and over again, he would not relent, even when his knuckles had begun to split and bleed.

It was not until several minutes of venting had passed that he paused to catch his breath and pressed his forehead against the battered slab of metal before him. But the respite only worsened his mood as the lull opened his mind up and reminded him just how awful he felt when he didn't have his fists to distract him from the pain. "…damn it!" He whispered harshly, pressing his brow further against the door before slamming his fist against it one last time.

Where was Chad? And where the hell was Uryuu? Now, when Inoue needed them most, when Ichigo needed them most, they were nowhere to be found.

Ichigo clenched his eyes shut and rammed his foot into the door irritably when he felt the familiar bite of tears rousing against his lashes to mock him in his weaknesses. But the action proved useless when he opened them just in time to watch the first teardrop fall to the concrete beneath his feet.

Twisting around to let his back slide down the dented surface of the door, Ichigo pulled his knees up to rest his forearms on as he wiped his tears away and stared blankly at the sky. An image of Inoue's smiling face came to mind…only to have a picture of the pale Espada accompany it immediately afterwards.

Ichigo felt his stomach lurch.

There was something about that man that stuck to the back of Ichigo's brain like a sickness. It wouldn't leave him be. It wasn't like with Grimmjow, where all he could think about was fighting him and winning at any cost, even by means of rushing into battle to prematurely use an unrefined technique against the better judgment of the man who'd taught it to him, just for the sake of avenging his wounded pride.

No, this was something deeper…something fouler.

Whenever they'd lock eyes, instinct would violently claw and push to the front of Ichigo's mind and roar out like an uncontrollable beast to _stay away from him_. Every bone in his body screamed at the boy not to engage.

And yet, there was a smaller, secluded part inside of him that sat quietly, waiting patiently, pacing back and forth like predator to strike at his weakest moment. It was a seed of something dark and odious. And it would whisper to him with a slimy slur, and it would send an uncomfortable itch down the back of his neck as it would deviously inform,

_Someday, you're going to become just like him. _

It shook him to the core of his being and it dug inside of him and it made him sick.

To think back on that strange, premonition-like dream he had troubled him. The scenes would play repeatedly in his mind and he couldn't shake them, no matter how hard he tried. It was always the same, despite how desperately his conscious mind tried to alter the events;

Inoue crying over him. Inoue leaving him. Inoue in Hueco Mundo. Inoue with that Arrancar. Inoue underneath that Arrancar. Inoue wrapping her legs around that Arrancar. Inoue moaning for that Arrancar…and always, no matter how it tortured him, he always remembered the toxic green of his eyes as he stared Ichigo down in that appalling way of his.

And all he could continue asking to distract himself from the pain of witnessing the desecration and corruption of his friend was, _what the hell kind of a man dreams about that kind of stuff, anyways?_ Before quickly reminding himself that it simply wasn't real...even if parts of it had already come to fruition.

Ichigo sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his hair roughly, trying to shake the disturbing thoughts from his mind. He probably wouldn't be acting so sulky right now if Rukia was here…

Ichigo paused in that thought as pain bubbled its way up his gut.

Why did Rukia leave him? Why had she abandoned him? Why didn't she fight for him?

These were the only things that had stuck in his head as miserably as that terrible dream had. And, guiltily enough, when she had given in and left him without even putting up a struggle, a small part of him had resented her for it. After all they had been through together, after everything they had faced…

Ichigo groaned tetchily and pushed his fingers through his hair again, pulling tightly at the roots and berating himself for thinking such things. She'd had no choice, and he knew it.

She also wouldn't have tolerated this kind of behavior from him, he also knew. But without her, it always seemed as if he was helpless to his fits of despair, the hell if he ever knew why.

Just as well, Ichigo felt with every bone in his body that this was something he had to do on his own.

He didn't need them or anyone else to help him. He'd learned that clear enough yesterday when Soul Society had forsaken Inoue in such a pathetic and pitiless manner just to suit their own needs. If he'd thought their prior treatment of Rukia had been bad, then what they were doing to Inoue was downright unfeeling. He would get her back on his own, and he didn't need Rukia or Renji, nor Chad and Uryuu, and certainly not Soul Society or even God's help to bring her home.

Ichigo stood and wiped his face clean once more to remove any remaining tearstains as he turned to grab the doorknob leading back to the school.

But when he felt a very intense, and suspiciously familiar, reiatsu signature rising and falling in the far off distance, Ichigo immediately turned from the entryway and rushed to the railing that braced the edge of the rooftop. It was faint, but he concentrated hard as he felt the energy fluctuate once more for a brief moment and then die out like a beacon, openly displaying itself to say, _here I am, come find me_.

"That reiatsu is…" Ichigo muttered to himself before the sudden image of the pale faced Espada sputtered into his mind. Abruptly, Ichigo turned on his heel and raced through the doorway and down the stairs, knowing every twist and turn by heart as he hastily rushed on his way out of the building.

.

.

.

He couldn't be sure if it was pure luck or divine intervention that it happened his house was on the way towards his destination, allowing him to quickly stop and utilize Kon in order to change over. He'd wasted little time on his long trek and as he jumped down from the last rooftop on the outskirts of town, Ichigo hurried his pace across the soccer field and headed into the brush of the forest. He took to the branches to afford him better time, providing a faster, more efficient, route in comparison to bobbing and weaving around the mountains of pesky brush piles. Although he was clumsy and loose footed at first, as he was unused to such a scenic method of travel, he adapted quickly and moved as swiftly as the branches would allow.

When he sensed just how close he was, Ichigo slowed upon feeling the spiritual pressure of the individual just ahead. The energy they were giving off was unmistakably Arrancar and showed no signs of movement. Dropping from a tree, Ichigo landed in a plain, grassy clearing just outside the edge of Karakura Town where a single figure stood silent and statuesque, patiently waiting for his arrival with closed eyes and hands that rested leisurely in his pockets.

The boy frowned as he realized his assumptions had been correct.

He may not know his name, but he'd recognize that fiendish reiatsu anywhere. It was cold and cryptic, and the only thing Ichigo could truly liken it to was the very moment a heart stopped beating.

"You're late." A smooth voice spoke up and the moment it did, that disturbing sensation crawled its way forward into Ichigo's mind again, setting him on edge before he even had a chance to silence the feeling.

"Where's Inoue?" Ichigo immediately asked. Wasting no time with pleasantries, he made sure to keep his features schooled and hardened as to not put him at any disadvantages.

"She's safe." Ulquiorra answered calmly as his eyes slid open to observe the young man before him.

"What did you do with her?" He demanded again and found that he had to force himself to mentally shake the repulsive sensation of the man's reiatsu away from his skin.

"Do you not wish to know why I am here?" He inquired as he continued to regard the boy and his surprisingly rational and composed behavior. It was not what he had been expecting.

"No," Ichigo replied as he watched the man pull a hand out from his pocket and begin to approach him. "Not unless it has to do with Inoue, I don't have anything against you."

"I must say, I am rather surprised," Ulquiorra admitted as he continued to close the large gap between them, diligently watching the boy for any signs of agitation that would lead to him drawing his sword, but finding none. "I presumed you would be much livelier than this, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo did well to hide the sudden shiver that went down the back of his neck upon hearing his name spoken in that quiet and eerie voice.

"Do you not wish to fight me…Ichigo Kurosaki?" His stare was stanch and unyielding, and when he repeated his name like that, Ichigo wondered, if only briefly, if the man had seen through his moment of discomfort and seized on it.

"No." Ichigo repeated firmly, holding his ground and his stare with sharp eyes.

"Is it because you are afraid…" He stated slowly. "…Ichigo Kurosaki."

"No." Ichigo reaffirmed and clenched his jaw tightly, refusing to take the bait, even as the pale man began to close in at a distance a little too close for him to put up a swift defense if necessary.

"Is it because you are weak...Ichigo Kurosaki."

"No." Ichigo bit out darkly and had to force the word from his mouth through grit teeth. His eyes grew hard and narrowed as he glared at the approaching man, until everything had suddenly melted away, and all he could see was that hideous poison green of his eyes that had haunted him since that dream.

_Inoue with that Arrancar. Inoue under that Arrancar. Inoue fucking that Arrancar…_

And then, as if Ulquiorra had read his mind;

"Does my presence unsettle you…-"

"Stop saying my fucking name like that!" Ichigo lashed out furiously, watching as Ulquiorra finally came to a stop not ten feet from him.

"There is no need for hysterics," Ulquiorra said calmly as he turned his head slightly to gaze off at something in the far distance. "I have been sent here on business, I have no intention of creating conflict."

"Really, I couldn't tell…" Ichigo scowled dryly. "If I didn't know any better, I would have gotten the impression you were trying to taunt me into a fight." He added in a voice that held not an ounce of sarcasm. It had quickly earned him a brief, but sweltering, sideways glare from the corner of Ulquiorra's eye.

"I'm here to give you this," Ulquiorra said as he pulled the document out from the inside of his jacket and tossed it to the boy.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked as he caught the parchment deftly.

"It is the acceptance letter sent by Lord Aizen in response to the request for an armistice in exchange for the girl, Orihime Inoue, appealed by Soul Society."

Ichigo stared down at the item as his fist began to clench tightly around the scroll upon learning this latest news. "They sold her out…for a fucking treaty?" He whispered wrathfully.

"You will deliver it to Commander Genryusai Yamamoto and inform him-"

"I'm not delivering shit," Ichigo declared as he threw the document at Ulquiorra's feet.

"What?" He asked sharply, his eyes narrowing in on the boy like a magnet.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I've disassociated myself with Soul Society. Find someone else to play your paperboy." He nearly spat as he turned to leave.

"If you do not deliver the message, then I will be unable to guarantee the safety of the girl."

"And just what's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo very nearly growled as he turned to glare at the pale man before him.

"What it means is that if you do not deliver this message as instructed, the girl may quickly become useless to Lord Aizen in the war against Soul Society. If there is no treaty, there is no ceasefire. If there is no ceasefire, then there is no use to keep the girl as a bargaining chip…there is no room for useless baggage in Hueco Mundo."

"Damn it," Ichigo cursed under his breath as he mentally weighed the few options he had. "Those bastards." _How could they do this?_

"You!" A familiar voice suddenly rang out in the hush of the moment and Ichigo turned just in time to see a breathless Tatsuki emerge from the brush surrounding the clearing. "You there! You know where Orihime is!" The winded girl shouted vengefully and despite the thin sheen of perspiration on her brow and the clear exhaustion in her eyes from tracking Ichigo over such a long distance, she stood tall and straight and addressed him with a firm stare.

"S_hit_," He swore distraughtly when he saw her start to approach the Espada. "Tatsuki, no!" He shouted fearfully in an effort to warn her.

"Tell me where she is!" She demanded and continued to move forward. "I know you have her!"

Ulquiorra stood placidly as he watched the human female persistently advanced on him, his eyes never leaving her person as he gauged her strength and quickly concluded she was trash.

"Tatsuki, stop," He said before quickly making his way over to her. "You don't know what you're-"

"Stay out of this, Ichigo." She fumed and gave him a vicious glare, stopping him in his tracks. "I know exactly what I'm doing." She declared resolutely, but Ichigo could already see that just being near the Arrancar was taxing her immensely. In addition to the exhaustion of her run, her breath was quickly growing shallower by the second and her knees shook with the grueling effort needed to keep herself from collapsing. "I _know_ what I am doing." She repeated sternly, her eyes gazing into his in a manner that spoke to her determination and willpower.

He could see it in her entire being, that spark of bravery that said she knew she could die, she knew that she was dealing with something that she may not completely understand, but she knew this had everything to do with Orihime. And if this was all she could do to try and reach her friend, then she wouldn't allow anyone or anything to hold her back.

Not even death.

Gathering all her strength, Tatsuki pushed forward with all her might and leveled the man with a serious glower. "I told you, tell me where Orihime is!" She shouted one last time before charging forward with her fist raised, fully intending to land a solid punch to the man's jaw. Like a dial being adjusted, Ichigo felt the tiny shift in Ulquiorra's reiatsu just then, rising not even a tenth of a degree, and Tatsuki hit the dirt with a painful and keening cry before suddenly releasing a horrible scream of agony.

"Stop it!" Ichigo suddenly rushed forward to stand guard over her protectively, livid at himself for not having put a halt to this ridiculousness in the first place. "You'll kill her!" He drew his sword as he shouted aggressively at the man, and to his surprise, felt the pressure immediately subside off of her.

"I have no intention of killing her," He stated dismissively as he turned and replaced his hand back into his pocket. "Deliver the message to Soul Society and I will guarantee my personal protection over the girl." At his words, a garganta split open before him like a ravenous mouth and Ichigo watched in silence as his slender form disappeared into the raging swirls of reishi within before abruptly closing.

Ichigo sheathed his Zanpakuto and bent down to collect the unconscious girl in his arms. His brows furrowed over his troubled eyes upon realizing this situation had only served as a painful reminder as to why she could not get involved…and why he must sever himself from their circle of friends.

If things remained as they stood now, he would only bring them misery. And that was something that he just couldn't handle.

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Orihime released a frustrated sigh and retraced her eyes to the beginning of the paragraph. She'd been stuck on the same page of this book for the past hour and had gotten absolutely nowhere. Scanning over the first words of the sentence, Orihime attempted to concentrate again and absorb the words. She was vaguely aware of the mentioning of a forest and a man being enchanted by a demon tree…and something or another about the seasons...or was it treasons?

"…_there is nothing in this world that would offend me more…_"

What a dreadful thing to say, she thought irritably.

The auburn haired girl swiftly crossed her legs and brought the book back up to her face to renew her efforts when she realized she was floundering again. Starting from the beginning, she focused hard and followed the flow of the letters…and quickly failed.

Really though, it was appalling enough that she had fallen for such an obvious trap that had ended with her capture in the first place, but for him to openly mock her naiveté in such a cruel and harsh manner was downright vicious. How could she have ever conceived the notion of that man being kind?

To think she had actually gotten heart palpitations!

In a sudden fright, Orihime snapped her book closed and bolted upright, gripping her chest in a panic when an image of Ichigo, handsome and smiling, came to the forefront of her mind.

Why had she allowed another man to get so close to her…and so easily. What in heaven's name was she thinking?

_Nothing._

She told herself frantically when the foreign fear of realizing her precious Kurosaki-kun's face had faded from her mind, if even briefly, the thought had been entertained inside her heart. It left her petrified. And it had left her appalled as the heavy and bitter stigma of 'disloyal' and 'betrayer' thrummed in time to the rhythm of her heart.

When the stress of the last several days began to set in and she once again posed the question to herself, _what was she thinking_, her answer was swift and decisive as she forcibly reiterated the fact to herself that it was _nothing at all._ In a mysterious and rather macabre way, Ulquiorra was an attractive man and she doubted it was unusual for a woman to have been a little captivated if found on the receiving end of his intense stare. Orihime knew that's all this merely was. Even she had moments where she would blush around Ishida-kun and even Sado-kun at times. And certainly her heart would beat a bit more rapidly when the handsome Kurosaki-kun would stand too close.

Ulquiorra had taken advantage of her loneliness to drive home a personal point, and he'd done so in a very malicious and tasteless manner.

Orihime tossed her book onto the settee as if she were tossing aside the very thought of him. It was trivial. A decidedly insignificant, inconsequential and trifling nonissue.

Upon hearing a soft knock at her door, Orihime glanced over and called out, "Come in," before immediately recanting it when she recalled the warning that Ulquiorra had given her. "Wait!" She said hastily and watched as the door continued to open regardless, only to reveal the deaf mute Arrancar pushing a cart forward into her room, completely oblivious to her outburst. After parking the trolley and glancing at the girl, the expression on her face gave him pause and he swiftly looked away from her with modest uncertainty.

She knew Ulquiorra had said no visitors, but surely he couldn't have meant him, as well? However, before she had a chance to motion for him to come forward, he'd lowered his head timidly and retreated from the room, leaving the door open in his haste.

Orihime moved towards the entrance, prepared to chase him down and apologize for startling him, but he was already gone. When she approached the trolley and glimpsed down, she was intrigued to see a small flower sitting atop the silver dome that covered her plate. She cocked her head, wondering why it wasn't in the vase as usual. When she reached down to pick it up, she was astonished as her fingers wrapped around a thin, crisp stem that was moist and smooth, not brittle and wrinkled like paper.

It was a real flower.

A gentle smile played over her lips as she touched the small blossom lightly to her upper lip, taking in the fresh scent of sweetness and life. It was a soft red, with gingery splashes decorating its petals, very much like the color of her hair.

"What do you got there, princess?" A rugged voice inquired from the doorway, causing her to promptly raise her head to meet a pair of electric blue eyes.

"Grimmjow-kun?" She said, slightly taken aback by his unexpected arrival.

"It took me a while," He said as he examined his nails casually, his shoulder leaning heavily against the doorframe whilst his other hand remained buried in his pocket. "But I finally found where that bastard was hiding you."

"Hiding?" Orihime blinked.

"That a real flower?" Grimmjow inquired as he stepped forward, ignoring her question and inviting himself in.

After another second of empty contemplation, she glanced down to the blossom she held in her hand and shook herself from her musings. "Oh," She said apprehensively and tried to offer him a smile. "Yes, it is."

"Steal it from Aizen's conservatory?" He asked with a roughish grin and reached out to pluck it from her fingers. Inquisitively, he lifted it to his nose and sniffed, grimacing at its saccharine scent before tossing it to the side where it landed on the floor.

"No, someone-" She stopped short as the word 'steal' paraded through her mind. "I mean…yes, I did take it." She said in hopes of protecting the mute Hollow who had given it to her, particularly if taking things like this without Aizen's consent was prohibited. "I didn't know we weren't allowed to." She added quickly.

"Yeah, yeah, I won't tell," Grimmjow waved over his shoulder as he gave her an apathetic shrug, seeming like he could hardly care about the matter. "As if I give a damn about what happens to his greenhouse and those bloody tea leaves." He stated bluntly before eventually rounding on her to take a good look at the new addition to her uniform. "Nice coat." He said, smirking in a rather lackadaisical fashion as he paced a few slow steps around her, while his hand reached out and tucked the hem of her long cloak into the hook of his finger, lifting it to examine with fake interest.

Remembering that she had left the fabric unfastened in the wake of Ulquiorra's departure, Orihime hastily reached up and zipped the jacket straight up to her neck in a flash.

Grimmjow chuckled.

After several more suffocating seconds, she felt the material slide from his hand as he continued to navigate around her person.

"…t-thank you." She said belatedly and swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. She lowered her eyes a bit as he came to a stop by her side and openly stared at her in that brazen and nerve wracking audacious manner of his.

"I liked it better without it, though." He said in a tawdry voice and smirked when he saw the apprehensive peek she gave him from under her lashes. When his smirk had parted slightly, unintentionally revealing a small preview of his sharp teeth, Orihime's eyes suddenly widened dramatically as her pupils dilated and zeroed in on the jagged image before her. Her reaction immediately triggered his smile to spread in a large, flashy grin, shamelessly exposing and flaunting his rows of razor sharp teeth that appeared as if they could cleave straight through bone.

"Like what you see?" He chuckled darkly.

Orihime swallowed again, only to nearly choke when the lump in her throat refused to budge.

"So," He began with a rather leery and guarded tone, his smile slowly fading. Gradually, he leaned back several inches to allow his eyes a slow, wary glance around her quarters, effectively affording her some proper breathing room at the same time. "Ulquiorra around?" He inquired with phony nonchalance.

Orihime shook her head slightly as she took the opportunity to inconspicuously step away from him. "No," She said as she bent down to pick up the flower he had discarded on the floor. "However…I was told not to allow anyone in the room while he's gone." She added a little ambiguously, hoping he would get the hint.

"Don't want me around, princess?" He asked as he began to close in on her again.

"That's not what I meant," She said with an apologetic and uneasy strain in her voice, sidestepping his advance. She was beginning to become very concerned about feeling like a doomed prey animal about to be brought down by the front of her throat every time she was on the receiving end of his stares. "I would very much like some company, but he said-"

"Like I give a shit about what that prick says," He said a bit irately before suddenly leaning down to give her a severe glare, making her flinch back at the brusque movement. "…you know that bastard is afraid of me?"

Her eyes widened a little at the unprovoked admission. "He…he is?" She asked curiously. "Why is that?" She inquired as her wide eyes watched him progressively begin to ease away from her.

"Son of a bitch acts like he's better than everybody else," He intoned petulantly when he turned from her and shoved his hands deep into his pockets to begin pacing the rug with a slow restlessness. "But I know the truth…he's afraid I'll destroy him, that's why he won't fight me." He scoffed derisively. "That coward's too fucking terrified Aizen will discover how weak he really is. He knows I'm going to kill him - and he's afraid." He stressed harshly, silently fuming as his knuckles began to turn white against the strain of his tightly clenched fists, hidden in his pockets.

"I can see it…" He intoned quietly as he suddenly grew very still, as if he had forgotten where he was, that she was even in the room. "Every time I look into his eyes…I can see it."

"See what?" She drawled innocently as she watched him stand motionless in the middle of her room. It was several moments of tense silence later before he turned to glance at her over his shoulder, prompting her to reiterate, "He just seems so…aloof to most things. Perhaps he just doesn't like confrontation?" She suggested earnestly and Grimmjow laughed loudly.

"Believe me when I say, there is nothing that bastard loves more."

Orihime blinked as she observed the smile return to Grimmjow's face. "I never would have guessed..." She stated with sincere astonishment.

"Of course not, that's what he wants everybody to think-" He said before quickly stopping short. "What the…" He began coarsely and Orihime tilted her head in confusion when his eyes narrowed in on her person and frowned. "What the hell are you doing here, brat?" He said reproachfully.

"E-excuse me?" Orihime blinked again, completely mystified.

"Did you follow me here?" He questioned with a sudden amount of hostility simmering in his voice.

Orihime nearly gasped when she saw him start to advance on her. When she took a concerned step back, only to bump into something directly behind her, she whipped her head around, shocked to see a pair of large violet eyes looking up at her with bright enthusiasm.

"Aah," A slurred voice called up to her.

"Wonderweiss-san?" Orihime said before a light, airy smile spread across her lips. "Where did you come from?" She inquired merrily as he replied in his usual, indecipherable manner.

"Waah."

Orihime giggled softly. "Is that so?" She said with a gentle kindness. "I'm very glad to see you again, too." Placing a hand on her knee, Orihime bent at the waist as she reached down to offer the young boy a welcoming pat on the head, earning her a noise of approval.

"You actually understand that retard?" Grimmjow scoffed disbelievingly.

"Of course," Orihime chirped as she watched Wonderweiss slowly begin to rise to his full height, examining her hairpins curiously. At such close proximity, she was surprised to find him much taller than she had originally imagined. Certainly, he was only an inch of two shorter than she. "Words aren't necessary when you can feel what the heart wants to say." She explained, articulating her answer with another smile.

"Sounds like a load of shit to me…" Grimmjow muttered as he scratched at the back of his neck distractedly, not particularly interested in the direction this conversation was going. When he heard a startled yelp emitted by the girl, he glanced up, not at all surprised to see her form held firmly in the unrelenting grasp of the young Wonderweiss, his face immersed in the deep space between her breasts. "I would have figured you'd realized by now that Hollow's are incapable of communication by means of the 'heart', princess." He said cynically. "The fuck if humans could, either." He added dryly.

"I believe both Hollows and humans alike, as well as Shinigami, are more than capable of having a heart…and opening that heart to love." She said, and even though her arms were trapped tightly at her sides, she lifted a hand to touch a lock of the soft, flaxen hair tucked closely to her bosom. "Haven't you ever had a friend, Grimmjow-kun?" She inquired as she watched him saunter over to examine the stack of books on her table, continuing after he responded with a noncommittal grunt that she could only assume was an affirmation. "If you've ever felt that connection, then I'm sure you've already known the strength of those bonds…and the security of knowing you're never alone, no matter that you don't have anyone beside you."

"Sounds like a pretty screwy fantasy, princess," He laughed loudly before turning to regard her person once more. "That's the kind of shit that's gonna start eroding at your brain if you keep it up." He grinned wickedly, the handsome features of his face lighting up as he scrutinized her with his vibrant eyes.

Orihime lightly shook her head in argument. "The heart is such a strong thing, Grimmjow-kun, it's the very core of friendship and courage…it keeps you warm when you're cold, and it gives you strength when you are weakened…" She said quietly as her eyes grew distant and nostalgic, recalling the comforting presence of her friends. "It's so very hard to explain…but I know I can show you, and when Kurosaki-kun gets here-_AH!_" Orihime cried out suddenly as pain shot up her arm like a blade. Her knees buckled and her vision blurred as she felt a violent force wretch her out from the arms of Wonderweiss.

"Kurosaki?" Grimmjow intoned darkly as he pulled her to him, glaring deep into her eyes. "Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Orihime's hand shot over to his, tightening around his wrist as his grip remained firm and uncompromising. "G-Grimmjow-kun…" She stuttered as she felt him squeeze right down to the bone. "Please st-" She lost her breath.

"You know that bastard?" He growled out fiercely, his eyes were penetrating and wild and she feared if he didn't stop, he would snap her arm without even trying.

"Yes!" She answered quickly, hoping he would release her if she complied, not knowing what she had done to anger him. She didn't know this side of him, unprovoked and dangerous. She had never seen anything so feral.

"Is he coming for you?" The pain had left her breathless, and when she didn't immediately answer, he jerked her closer and began to tighten his grip. "Is he?!" Orihime saw her vision swim, her view of beautiful glittering blue eyes and equally deep azure locks of hair began to fade together like smears of ink.

"I…I don't-"

"Fuck!" Grimmjow abruptly hissed as he snapped his hand back, releasing her when Wonderweiss quickly and proficiently grabbed hold of the man's arm, brought it to his mouth, and bit down with enough force to crush bone. "What the fuck was that for, you little shithead?" Grimmjow complained as Orihime fell to the floor, clutching gently to the tender and bruised flesh of arm.

Orihime immediately began kicking away from him, gauging him with fear and uncertainty lacing her watery eyes.

Bringing his own bruised arm up for inspection, Grimmjow irately grumbled about something under his breath before glancing down at her with a look of vague annoyance. "The fuck's your problem?" He asked crossly as he watched her quiet form sitting on the floor, as if he hadn't nearly just broke her arm.

Orihime realized she was shaking when, as she reached up to try and wipe away her tears, her hand trembled with the throb of pain and fright that coursed through her shuddering body. Her eyes lowered to the ground as she forced her uninjured arm to steady itself and smear her tears away. "It's nothing, Grimmjow-kun," She said shakily, holding back a sob. "I know you didn't mean it." She whispered quietly, and she had seen it in his eyes that he simply just didn't understand.

He really, truly didn't.

With moist cheeks and a pale flush draining the soft color of her flesh, Orihime took a slow, quivering breath that shook her lips and filled her lungs. Schooling her features, she replaced the pain and hurt in her voice with a forlorn smile, glancing up to him with brown eyes that offered forgiveness and understanding. "…I know you didn't mean it."

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TBC

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**Oh my, this chapter nearly ate me alive. I hope ****my phrasing and sentences are easy enough to read simply and pleasantly for you, the viewer. It was very troubling for me this week. **

**Quick side note, I'm not trying to rush the romance between Ulquiorra and Orihime in this chapter, that scene at the beginning was just my take on the 'I'm not here to comfort you physically or mentally' bit. **

**Thank you so much for reading! Your kindness has been a true joy to receive!**


	6. Chapter 6

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CHAPTER 6

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He was really starting to despise the feeling of this document in his hand. Even if it was light and didn't weigh much, the true weight of such a thing could not be measured in ounces and pounds. The document held responsibility and power. It also held the prospect of ruining an alliance of titanic proportions if he failed to deliver it to its proper recipient; something he had been greatly tempted to do.

But worst of all, this document held the weight of betrayal.

Ichigo could hardly look at the blasted thing without grimacing and being overcome with the urge to toss it into the nearest and deepest lake. He felt as if he were deliberately participating in the treacherous act of selling out one of his closest friends as a wartime commodity. It was an unsettling feeling. Inoue was more than just a product to be slaved off to pacify the demands of a war that she had nothing to do with. It simply wasn't fair and he prayed that she, nor any of his other friends, would ever come to learn of his involvement, no matter how small or unwilling it may be.

He'd had no choice in the matter. Inoue was worlds away, it wasn't as if he could just stroll down the street and come to her rescue. He was in the living world, she was in Hueco Mundo, and he had absolutely no method or manner to get to her. If he wanted to keep her safe, he had to play by their rules.

Ichigo hated playing by rules, or rather, at least any rules that weren't his own.

A bitter scowl erupted on his face as he thought back to what that Arrancar had said.

He, Ichigo Kurosaki, the protector of all protectors…had to rely on _that man_ to protect Inoue.

The young man stopped on his trek down the empty, deserted side street and lifted the hand that held the document high over his head, fully intending to throw it to the concrete beneath his feet in hopes of destroying the accursed thing, only to pause.

"Damn it all," He growled out angrily, knowing full well that he couldn't do it. If he gave into such a selfish impulse, he'd be sealing Inoue's fate for sure, and that would make him no better than them. That was something he just couldn't do, no matter how much he detested this treaty, no matter how much his morals said that using her was wrong, Ichigo knew that if he purposefully disposed of this monstrosity for the sake of his own conscious, he would be sending Inoue to her death.

Unable to deal with the stress of holding and feeling the papers in his hands any longer, Ichigo shoved the scroll deep into the large pocket of his hakama, out of sight. With a resigned sigh, he pushed forward and resumed his journey to reach the Urahara Shoten.

He hadn't made it but a few blocks further when the short, familiar figure of Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya appeared before him, blocking his path. His look was as somber and serious as always while he stared the blonde haired youth down with unwavering conviction.

"Great…" Ichigo mumbled to himself and rubbed at the back of his neck irritably, knowing this was going to become troublesome one way or another. "What do you want, Toshiro?" He asked rudely and when the diminutive Captain's scowl merely deepened momentarily, failing to correct him on the blatant nonuse of honorifics, Ichigo knew something was amiss.

"I cannot allow you to reach Kisuke Urahara." He stated simply.

"Is that what this is all about?" Ichigo chuckled. "What? You think I'm going to have him send me to Hueco Mundo or something?" His laughter died off slowly as he shook his head reproachfully. "You should've known by now, I would have done that days ago if I knew I could get away with it."

With his face unmoved, the young Captain clearly did not share in his semi-sarcastic humor. "No matter your reason, I cannot risk allowing you to get near that man."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed a little as he heard this. "So that hat and clogs really does know how to get there…" He muttered to himself, ruminating on what Toshiro had inadvertently revealed.

"Whether he does or does not is irrelevant," Toshiro replied. "I am under direct orders to detain you if you try, even if your motivation is unrelated to Orihime Inoue and Hueco Mundo, access to Kisuke Urahara is prohibited."

"She took you into her home, you know?" Ichigo said quietly as he stared the shorter man down. "She treated you like family."

Toshiro glanced away, staring blankly at the cold concrete of the sidewalk that held no meaning or interest. "Emotional attachments hold no merit in this discussion." He said, his platinum white hair reflecting the light of the street lamp overhead as a silence stretched between them. It was the silence of a winter night, with no birds or insects to drone in the background and no leaves to cushion the sway of the branches in the trees as they rolled against the wind. "Are you going to turn back now, or must I be forced to subdue you?" He asked steadily as his eyes returned to the boy once more.

"I don't care what you do, I'm going to get to Soul Society one way or another." Ichigo answered firmly.

Toshiro blinked briefly before recovering his features. "Soul Society?" He questioned. "What business do you have there?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes in a moment of confusion. "You mean you don't know?"

"Know what?" Toshiro pushed further, his patience waning.

Ichigo nearly laughed, but his serious disposition wouldn't allow it, not when his friend's life was at stake. "It's about this," He said as he reached into his pocket to pull out the scroll. Toshiro glanced at it shortly and remained quiet, allowing the boy to explain. "Soul Society apparently sent Aizen an offer entailing a temporary ceasefire of the war in exchange for Inoue." He said darkly and Toshiro's eyes widened dramatically, clearly shocked.

The young Captain focused on the scroll in Ichigo's hand hard as the information ran through his mind. It was several long, tense moments later before his stern gaze shot back up to the boy as he asked with a grave intonation, "Who are you meant to deliver it to?"

"The Head Commander." Ichigo replied with equally stern eyes. "That's why I need to see Kisuke. I have no other choice." He said and watched as the Captain turned from him stiffly. His left hand rigidly swept aside the folds of his haori as his right reached behind him, lifting his Zanpakuto from its scabbard.

With swift, precise motions, Ichigo looked on as Toshiro stabbed the sword forward, impaling the air before him. After turning the blade like a key, an intense brightness, whiter than the sun, cut through the dark cloak of the night and spread upwards into the sky.

"Come." Toshiro called firmly from over his shoulder as a pair of intricate shoji doors appeared in front of him, opening to a second set that parted to reveal the senkaimon. "I will escort you." He said with a forced sense of calm, though his eyes betrayed the anger in him.

Without a word, Ichigo nodded and fell into step behind the shorter man as the wooden doors silently slid shut behind them.

A part of him was less than willing to go through with this. Not strictly because he disagreed with their choices, as he had already come to the conclusion that he was helpless to their whims and desires; if they were so intent on using Inoue in their political slave trade, then there was clearly nothing Ichigo could do or say to dissuade them. However, he was still nervous at the prospect of entering Soul Society.

Would Rukia be there?

Would Renji?

Would he have to face them?

He wasn't sure if he could handle it. What if he got angry, what if he said hurtful things?

On the other hand, a part of him argued that he should just be irrational, as was his modus operandi. Unreasonable actions and foolishly brash decision making always had been his rapport with things of this nature. His logic, though admittedly flawed, demanded Ichigo to run to his friends, where he could break them out of whatever surveillance they were locked under and rally them back into action until they caused such an uproar, not even the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen would be capable of subduing them. Where, swathed in the chaos of the moment, they'd disappear and slip away to Hueco Mundo and liberate their captive companion.

Even the thought of such a thing was getting him fired up.

And yet…

Ichigo's eyes fell to the scroll held tightly in his hand. Captains were everywhere and they were going to be on higher alert now with war going on, security would be tighter now than it ever had been before. If he attempted something like that and either of them were caught, they could face charges of treason…they could be sent off for execution.

He couldn't risk that, not with his friends.

Ichigo growled and shoved the offending document back into his pocket once more, glaring at the path ahead of him.

He may not have the power to control any of the events playing out around him, he may not even have to power to effect the direction of those events, either. But one thing was for sure.

Ichigo Kurosaki was going to get to Hueco Mundo one way or another, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

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The last few days had passed by relatively quickly for Orihime. She had occupied most of her time with reading or journaling and even tried her hand at a few doodles brought about by fits of boredom. Wonderweiss had stayed by her side during the greater portion of her days and had succeeded in doing so without protest from Ulquiorra. However, just as much time as the young boy spent captivated by her company, he would frequently disappear from her room without warning or cause, leaving her in silence and solitude. Many a times had she been in the middle of a conversation with him, only to turn her head for a brief moment and look back to find the flaxen haired youth gone.

Orihime sighed, wondering what could have been so fascinating for him to make such an abrupt exit from her room at times. Did she bore him? She hoped not, he was one of the few people that were capable of keeping her loneliness at bay.

"Ahh," The persistent voice interrupted her thoughts, craving her attention. Orihime glanced down and smiled at the sloppily drawn image of her hairpins the boy was currently holding up to her, urging for her praise and affection on a job well done.

"Hmm," Orihime hummed with a serious look in her eye as she brought the paper up for a proper evaluation. She turned the picture this way and that, assessing it with great scrutiny as she tapped her chin in deep concentration. "Wonderweiss-san, I must say, this picture is very, very…" She paused with a stern look, drawing out an anxious noise from the boy. "Beautiful." She finished with a sudden smile, chuckling softly at the look of relief on his freckled face.

Handing the image back to her young companion seated on the floor, Orihime stood from the sofa and ambled her way over to start making her bed. She had overslept that morning, needless to say, she'd been a little lazy in tidying up her room. As of late, she hadn't been sleeping well at all.

When the bed had first been delivered to her room, she had actually felt uncomfortable sleeping in it and had much preferred to stay on her couch where she had a clear view of the moon outside. Strangely enough, looking at that moon seemed to ebb the fear and loneliness in her. It gave her a remarkably comforting awareness that her friends were still out there somewhere, looking at the moon in the living world and thinking about her.

Fluffing her pillow distractedly, Orihime tossed the cushion to the head of her bed before finishing up with tucking her sheets under the mattress. She took a moment to glance at the window above her headboard. During her stay here, she had learned that the moon was only visible through her window at certain times of the day as it would make its journey across the Hueco Mundo sky, and now was not one of those times.

She was beginning to wonder just how long she would last here.

After all, Aizen hadn't called on her but once during her entire stay, and that had been to show her the Hogyoku. But Orihime was starting to think that had been nothing more than a farce. For if he had so desperately needed her to heal the damaged jewel, he would have set her to the task immediately…wouldn't he?

Or perhaps not…

Orihime's brows furrowed.

Certainly, for Aizen to allow her such open and direct contact with the one thing that actually held value to him, he would have to truly believe her to be loyal to him, to trust him and believe in his cause. Something they both knew she wasn't. Orihime was neither loyal to him nor trusting of him.

Her eyes took a moment to wander around the surplus of gifts that had been sent to her. It was overkill, for sure. It was clear to her now that sending her such an overabundance of material goods was nothing more than a ploy to gain her cooperation. One attempt in a series of many that was sure to come.

Aside from the obvious, Orihime was now stuck in a situation that was more than a little complicated.

Somehow, she needed to make herself valuable to them. She knew that once the treaty lost its effectiveness, so would she. Not unless she somehow made herself useful, at least long enough until her friends came for her. There was nothing that she would love to resign herself to more than to reject the very existence of the wretched Hogyoku, but even Orihime knew how little her chances were of succeeding in that venture. Even if she somehow convinced Aizen that she was loyal and devoted, that particular avenue would only lead her to a dead end, considering even the tyrants longest known allies and confidants were not trusted around the jewel.

With another distraught sigh, Orihime glanced down to her hands and frowned.

It looked like the only option she had was to offer Aizen and his army the only thing she'd ever been able to offer anyone; healing.

She couldn't fight in his war, she couldn't present enough power to make a difference and she certainly couldn't destroy the Hogyoku – there wasn't enough stars in the night sky to count the years it would have taken her to earn his trust to accomplish such a monumental task. And, unfortunately for her, Hueco Mundo didn't have stars.

When she noticed Wonderweiss becoming distracted by something in the hall, she glanced over, expecting to see Ulquiorra walk through her door. After several moments passed and nobody appeared, she pushed herself from the bed and walked over to the door with Wonderweiss at her heel. She looked from one end of the corridor to the other, spotting nothing.

"What is it?" She asked when he suddenly turned his head, as if noticing something off to their right. A short time later, a faint noise echoed out from the same direction he had been looking. A noise that sounded very much like…a dog.

"Wait!" She called when Wonderweiss suddenly took off, leaving her behind.

Biting her lip, Orihime glanced back into her room apprehensively before abruptly throwing caution to the wind. "Wait for me!" She called excitedly as she rushed from the room, chasing after the boy with a thrilled smile on her face.

Orihime's feet very nearly slid out from under her when she reached the end of the hall, making a quick turn as she rounded the corner to catch up with him. Lifting her skirts, she hurried her pace as she watched the boy make another turn. At the intersection of the next hall, a breathless Orihime slid to a stop beside the young blonde as he glanced down each of the long corridors around them, looking for the ghostly animal.

Another bark and Orihime whipped her head around, smiling and giggling mirthfully as she tugged on Wonderweiss's sleeve and urged him to hurry. "It's over here!" She said quickly as she rushed to catch it. "Hurry, Wonderweiss-san!" She laughed again, teasing him to keep up. At the end of the next hall, the girl caught just the briefest glimpse of a small, white tail, sending a surge of excitement through her heart at feeling she was close.

With cheeks red and chest heaving, Orihime took the corner with agile steps as her animated eyes remained glued to the floor, searching for the strange and elusive white dog that had avoided their every move.

"Yo! Ulquiorraa!" A deep, coarse voice called out from just ahead of her.

Orihime stumbled to a quick stop as she looked ahead of her just in time to see a large, muscular form disappear around another corner, fading into the whiteness of Las Noches. She felt her heart leap up into her throat, beating faster than it already was as memories of that man attacking her, killing Shinigami and hurting Ichigo came to mind.

"Wonderweiss-san!" She whispered desperately as she the boy finally caught up with her, only to heedlessly rush straight past her. "No!" She called, reaching out for him, but missing. Panic and concern for the boy pushed her feet forward until she reached the hall that he had taken. But fear kept her legs frozen in place as she remained hidden behind the corner, reminding herself over and over that the boy was more than capable of taking care of himself. He'd already proven that several times over, hadn't he?

Still, Orihime held her clenched fist close to her heart, hoping that she was right in believing he would be fine without her.

"Ulquiorra!" She heard Yammy call again and she nearly cringed. His voice was so loud. "Damn it…bastard asks me to meet him here and he's nowhere to be found." He muttered gruffly. "Huh…what are you doin' here, twerp?" She heard him say and her heart literally stalled as she heard Wonderweiss make a noise as he approached the bulky man.

Pressing her back tightly against the wall, Orihime inched her way over, peeking out from behind the edge. She bit her lip again as she saw both Wonderweiss and Yammy in the hall, as well as the white dog they had been chasing, hiding behind the larger man's leg.

"Daah," Wonderweiss intoned as he squatted down to try and reach for the animal, poking and pestering it.

"What the fuck are you saying?" Yammy growled irately and, after a stretch of time with no response, simply grumbled under his breath before he moved on. "So damned weird…" He sighed and turned to begin searching the halls once more, seemingly intent to ignore the boy.

"Dah," Wonderweiss said again, rushing forward under his legs to reach the dog, nearly tripping the large man up in the process.

"Cut it out," He ordered roughly. "What? You want this mutt?" The annoyance in his voice was thick and Orihime watched as, without much thought, Yammy cruelly kicked the animal over to the boy. "Take it, damn thing's annoying the shit out of me today." He said before turning and making his way down the hall, completely unaffected by the pained yelp the helpless creature had released.

Her eyes followed his figure for a long while, waiting to make sure he had left and would not return. When she glanced back to the boy, he was holding the dog away from him, inquisitively looking the animal over while it squirmed and fought to be free of his grasp.

Feeling that she had regained some sense of security, Orihime exhaled a deep, relieved sigh when the knot in her stomach finally seemed to fade. A small smile tugged at her lips as she turned away, only to immediately release a loud and frightened gasp, pushing her back hard against the wall when she glanced up to see the familiar sight of piercing green eyes staring her down with unblinking severity.

Ulquiorra stood before her, not a foot away, as she clutched her hand tighter to her chest and felt her heart sputter for a moment before nearly skipping a beat, completely startled by his sudden appearance.

"Ulquiorra," She began, nervously pressing her palm to her abdomen in an attempt to settle the sudden flurry of anxiety swirling in her stomach like butterflies.

"What are you doing out of your room?"

Orihime's eyes fell to the floor. She had scarcely been able to look him in the eye since that day, and now that he was in such close proximity, she found the task to be remarkably harder than what it really should have been.

"I was just…exploring a little." She admitted. Certainly, there was no lie she could ever concoct that would be able to successfully persuade him into believing otherwise. She really had no need for one, either. "I'm sorry if it's caused you trouble." She said sincerely.

He was quiet for only a short time before his eyes glanced over to take in the scene of Wonderweiss sitting on the floor behind her, currently trying to eat the poor dog that had been trapped in his clutches. Orihime curiously followed the direction of his gaze and nearly gasped again as she observed the young boy's untoward actions.

"Wonderweiss-san!" She chided. "You can't eat the dog!" She said as she hurried over just in time to pull the animal's back feet from his mouth. Lifting the drenched canine before her, she sighed and gazed down at the boy who was currently looking at her like he hadn't a clue as to what he'd done wrong.

"Woman," Ulquiorra said and Orihime turned, glancing at the man behind her. "Come, you have an appointment to attend." He ordered before walking away, setting off towards a new direction.

"An appointment?" Orihime questioned as she stepped forward to follow him. The girl blinked briefly, pausing, before she stopped to deposit the small dog onto the ground upon remembering she still held it in her grasp. The animal quickly took to its freedom and ran off in the direction Yammy had left. "Where are we going?" She inquired, swiftly forgetting about all else as she fell into step behind him. Leaving Wonderweiss to stare after her, dumbfounded, as the pair disappeared into the maze of Las Noches.

"Lord Aizen has arranged that you be examined by Szayelaporro Granz." He informed. "There are certain aspects of your power that still need to be studied."

"Szayelaporro?" Orihime thought to herself. A series of faces, most of which she still could not attach a name to, ran through mind. The only Espada she could accurately remember were the ones she had become personally familiar with. When the only mentioning of an appointment that she could clearly recall came to mind, reminding her of the strange rosette haired man that had looked at her like she was a laboratory animal to be used and dissected, Orihime nearly cringed. "What exactly is he going to do to me?" She questioned, her expression giving away her unease.

"I will not allow him to harm you, if that is what you are concerned about." He said as they made their way out of the fourth tower and crossed over a large bridge connecting them to the central dome.

"There are things that can be just as terrifying as death, if not more so." She added, becoming slightly distracted when they began approaching the sizeable structure. It was large and imposing and no matter how many times she saw it, it never failed to impress her.

"Then perhaps you should attempt to control those fears." He said flatly, his voice holding no sympathy.

When they entered into a wide passageway, only to emerge on the other side surrounded by the innermost dome, Orihime nearly lost her breath as the familiar sensation of sunlight and warmth touched her face. The comforting rays that she had long pined for during her stay here were now touching her skin and grazing over her lashes, brightening everything within sight and chasing away the shadows.

Orihime raced forward to the railing that surrounded the long balcony framing the innards of the massive structure. Stretching from here to the other side of the dome, a point so far away she couldn't even see the end. She looked up, gazing at the bright sky above her, filled with blue hues so rich and deep she could scarcely believe she was in Hueco Mundo, her sole reminder being the rolling dunes and endless plains of sand far below her feet.

"It's…beautiful." She breathed in awe, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. She felt a breeze pull at her hair as radiant sunbeams she had missed more than she could imagine touched her smiling lips. "I thought there wasn't any sunlight in Hueco Mundo," She said in astonishment as she turned to him with mystified eyes. "How…?" Orihime inquired, gazing at her warden as he stood patiently behind her.

"There is nothing real about it," He said as he looked up to the sky she seemed to be so fascinated by. "It is all manufactured light that Lord Aizen has fabricated through the use of the Hogyoku." He explained. "The only dome in Las Noches that has such an artifact is this one, while the remaining towers were designed solely to withstand the harsh environment of Hueco Mundo."

Orihime chuckled.

"Is something amusing?" He asked.

Orihime shrugged softly as his eyes met hers. "It seems even the great Lord Aizen needs sunlight just as much as anyone else would." She said with a peculiar grin.

Ulquiorra was quiet for a moment and she smiled.

"Yes, I suppose he does." He finally answered wryly.

"It's all rather amusing if you think about it," She began as she turned and crossed her hands behind her back, leaning against the railing behind her for support. "After all, he is a Shinigami from Soul Society, where there is a sun and a moon, and seasons and rain and life. Just as I am unaccustomed to such an environment as this, it would be equally difficult for someone of your kind to be thrust into a setting such as my own world, where there is an overabundance of such things." She said as she pondered over the topic.

No matter the circumstance, for one to be so completely adapted to a habitat void of anything but darkness and sand, only to be thrust into a world filled with light and sound and activity, surely that person would have a hard time acclimating. They would have just as many difficulties as she was having adapting here.

"I suppose I find it a little ironic." She stated. "There he is, residing in a palace and building an entire world around himself to resemble the one he left behind."

"I suppose it is only natural." He said as he came to stand beside her, gazing out into the distance.

"Yes…" She said a bit distractedly, looking down at her feet as she pondered over many different things, particularly her friends. Feeling that familiar heat of the sun had reminded her of them. It made her miss those bright, summer days and trips to the beach, where she'd get so much sand stuck in her clothes it would take her days to be rid of it all. They'd purchase popsicles from a vendor and rush to eat them before they melted…her brother always liked the blandest flavors…

"You are thinking about your friends." She heard him state, rather than ask, from beside her and she was slightly surprised by how intuitive he seemed.

"Yes," She nodded briefly.

"You believe they are coming for you."

She smiled softly before glancing up to him. Once again, she was taken aback by how vividly his eyes reflected her image. With the brilliance of the sun shining through them, it was so much easier to see all the beautiful specks and shimmers of emerald hidden in his eyes, only obscured by the occasional breeze that blew the onyx locks of his fringe between his brow.

"I know they're coming."

"You should give up on such nonsensical ideas." He said before averting his gaze back to the sand coated desert, the slightest hint of reproach lacing his tone.

Orihime laughed mildly. "They're not ideas." She stated with smiling assurance, holding her expression firmly in place, as if to prove her point. "They're facts."

His eyes narrowed, staring out at some invisible point across the endless length of the dome.

"And this Ichigo Kurosaki…he is coming for you, as well?" He questioned quietly with eyes that were distant and somewhat hard.

"I…I suppose so." She replied, not knowing of any other way to answer his question without embarrassing herself.

"You care for him, do you not?" He inquired stoically and Orihime quickly blushed, pulling her hands out from behind her back to begin nervously fretting with her fingers.

"I care for all my friends." She said and even though his gaze was directed elsewhere, she lowered her eyes, shying away from the topic.

"Do you believe he will come here because he cares for you?" He questioned again, making Orihime's blush deepen into a dark crimson red.

"Well, I…I don't…I mean…I'm not sure if he…" She rambled on, utterly failing to answer the question.

"Do you believe he would kill for you?"

Orihime's eyes shot up to the man just then, her brows furrowing at the disturbing inquiry when she realized his questions had absolutely nothing to do with friendship. They had been posed in an entirely different tenor than what she had originally taken them for. His empty stare was gazing off into the distance over the sea of sand, completely detached from the emotional reactions she had previously been displaying.

"Ulquiorra?" She voiced with quiet hesitation, slowly coming to the realization that his queries had mostly been centered around Ichigo. When his eyes darted away from the sand dunes of the desert and landed on hers, as if being pulled from his thoughts, Orihime offered a small smile, deciding it was best to answer his question honestly, regardless of his intentions. "I would never ask my friends to kill for me." She said with calm resolution.

It seemed like several minutes had passed between them as his gaze remained locked on hers. When another gentle gust of wind picked up and wove the sun through her hair in a rainbow of reds and gingers, his eyes fell to her lips as a lock of auburn hair played across them in a lazy caress.

"Ulquiorra?" She said again and he watched, slightly fascinated, by the way those rosy, pink lips formed his name.

Abruptly, he looked away. "It would be best that you forget about your friends, they no longer serve any function in your life." He said quietly as he turned from her and began resuming their trek to the other side of the dome. "Come, we have a tight schedule to keep."

With a confused tilt of her head, Orihime pushed away from the railing and moved to follow him.

It was a long, arduous trip across the causeway that stretched from one end of the dome to the other, but Orihime could hardly complain. She had needed the exercise and it was equally nice to enjoy some fresh air. When they reached the other side, they exited through another archway that was similar in style to the one they had entered through. Coming out on the other end, Orihime looked up to see that the dark sky of Hueco Mundo had once more replaced the bright and sunny atmosphere above them.

"Where are we going?" She questioned as they continued along, following a new path that seemed to be leading to yet another tower that sat on the periphery of the dome.

"The eighth tower," He answered as they approached the massive structure ahead of them, jutting out from the white sands of Hueco Mundo like monument. "The shortest route from one tower to another is usually to cut straight through the citadel, otherwise, one would have to venture around the entire perimeter of Las Noches."

When they approached the large gates leading into the fortress, Orihime straightened her posture and toughened her resolve as she watched the doors begin to slowly creak open upon their approach, summoning them forward into a strange darkness. Standing in the entrance, waiting for her with a wicked smile upon his face, was the rosette haired man she recalled from the conference.

"Ah, welcome to the eighth tower, honored guest," He said smoothly, never taking his eyes off her form. "Please, do come in…"

.

.

.

Ulquiorra wondered if these fanciful whims were beginning to become a habit for the girl. One day, she would seemingly be so offended by his presence to the point she could hardly stand to look at him, only to forgive him the very next. Several times she had already followed this senseless pattern. Her ups and downs had fluctuated radically since the first night he had brought her here, apparently feeling the need to apologize for calling him 'horrible', yet by that very same night, she had slapped him so hard her hand had turned red for nearly a full hour.

Once again, after the incident of the meeting, she forgave him only to immediately recant her apologies the moment he made it clear that he wasn't here to play emotional games with her.

As it stood now, one could hardly peel her from his person. So frightened was she by the eighth Espada, Szayelaporro Granz, that it would seem she found some measure of refuge in hiding behind his back while the bespectacled scientist tried to coax her out like an impatient nanny.

After several minutes with absolutely no success, Szayel sighed and looked to Ulquiorra in annoyance. "Do you think you could at least _try_ to help me out, here?" He petitioned irritably as he reached up to rub the bridge of his nose.

"Woman," He ordered over his shoulder, staring her down from the corner of his eyes with a strict glare.

Apparently, he needn't say another word as she cast him an accusatory look before hesitantly reaching out to take the hand Szayel had offered her.

"There we go, madam," He praised, cajoling her forward. Orihime frowned a little, finding the man's words to be highly pretentious and not at all polite. "If you would please just step this way and have a seat here," He said, guiding her further into his laboratory.

Ulquiorra watched as he lead her away, soothing her with falsely comforting words that seemed to lose all their effect the moment he pulled a large syringe out from his pocket. The girl's eyes seemed to widen to twice their size before all color drained from her features. Giving in to a sigh, he glanced away, hoping this wasn't going to take too long.

With nothing else to do with his time, his thoughts began to wander, mulling over the strange reaction, or rather lack thereof, that Ichigo Kurosaki had given him several days ago.

Ulquiorra had fully expected the boy would have charged at him and demand retribution in the name of honor and amity, or whatever it was that these humans seem to hold in such high regard. But he didn't. Like the girl had done before him, Ichigo Kurosaki had surprised Ulquiorra by doing the exact opposite of what he'd predicted. Such an occurrence was not only highly unusual, it was also immensely irritating. Ulquiorra had always been accurate in gauging such factors.

Despite that small miscalculation, there was a strange, unseen part of himself that wanted the boy to fight him, even if it wasn't what Aizen had sent him to do. Ulquiorra needed to gain a clear understanding of the boy's strength – and the only way to achieve this was through a direct attack from young human. Had he made a mistake? Ulquiorra frowned at the thought. He had assumed Ichigo Kurosaki was of such little consequence that he found it ridiculous his name had ever been an issue to begin with. However, what he had been correct in surmising was that it had not been the boy's direct displays of strength that were the threat, but his rate of growth.

Even though Grimmjow had broken direct orders and had entered the mortal realm in search of a confrontation with the boy, his actions had offered some insight into just how far his power had progressed.

From the point he and Yammy had been sent to observe the boy, to the short time later that Grimmjow confronted him not only once, but twice when Ulquiorra brought him along to fetch the girl, most humans would have failed to expand their power any, if at all, during such a narrow period. But with the boy, there was much to be learned. Between those three incidents, he had apparently gained enough power to fight toe to toe with Grimmjow, even if only briefly.

Strangely enough, from what Ulquiorra had gathered from the sexta Espada's reports, Ichigo Kurosaki had remarkably acquired some new form of strength that he did not have the last time he'd fought with them - a type of power that had, apparently, lasted for naught but a few seconds.

Still, those few seconds spoke volumes to Ulquiorra. It proved he was right in presuming the true menace of Ichigo Kurosaki lay in just how fast he was capable of pushing the limits of his power to new levels. Because of this, Ulquiorra needed a way to control him, to wrap his fingers around his brain and figure out what it was that made the young man tick.

He recalled how outraged he seemed to become at the simple mentioning of the woman's name, it had been the only rise he'd gotten out of him that hadn't been deliberately provoked. Just as adamantly, when it seemed his female companion was going to be crushed by the momentary upsurge of his reiatsu, the boy had quite literally lost his cool and finally drew his sword.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed as he pondered over this.

The woman had ceaselessly chattered and twittered on about the extraordinary wonders of her undefeatable companions and just as fervently, sang the praises of the perfect and god like Kurosaki-kun. No matter the woman's disillusioned ramblings, one thing was clear; they all believed themselves to be a part of some ridiculous interwoven connection that the woman seemed to affectionately refer to as, 'the heart'.

This heart seemed more than nonsensical, but despite the illogicalness of it, Ulquiorra knew the concept of this intangible bond held some sort of value to her, and because of this, he began to wonder if through her, he could somehow influence the behavior of Ichigo Kurosaki.

Could he anger him? Could he break him?

And just as well, he had already seen proof that the woman could be controlled through the simple threat of harming her friends. Likely, the scenario would succeed in working both ways.

Getting close to the girl and allowing her to believe that he, in some way cared for her, was prone to be the best approach. She had already mistaken many of the actions he'd taken with her as kindness and consideration. Frankly, he had scarcely been bothered to worry about what she thought of him and even though he had previously entertained the notion of allowing her to believe he actually cared for her, if only for the sake of making his job easier, and even touching on his own dark personal amusement, Ulquiorra simply did not have the time to deal with the emotional demands of a human female during this war.

He had already laid out the ground rules to the woman when she had attempted to become familiar with him, and yet it had seemed to do little in deterring her efforts to become friendly. She would still smile at him and chat with him and even offer an occasional blush that, most often than not, seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere. Although it had taken her quite a while to meet his eyes after the day he'd, in so many words, coldly told her to keep her emotions to herself, it had accomplished nothing to stop her and her attempts to create this fantastical bond between them…this 'heart'.

Ulquiorra's thoughts were sharply cut short by the loud clattering of a metal tray falling to the floor behind him, sending tools and laboratory equipment scattering everywhere. The noise had created such a ruckus that several of Szayel's fraccion stopped in their routines to glance at the scene before quickly turning away and going back to work, their curiosity sated.

The pale man's eyes fell to the sight of the rosette haired scientist slamming his palm against the counter in aggravation as he leaned over the girl. Swallowing hard, she pressed her back against a large, industrial sized workbench behind her as she clutched something tightly to her breast, holding it close in an attempt to keep it safe.

"Just let me see it, girl." Szayel nearly hissed, clearly trying to keep his calm. "I'm just going to make a brief examination, I'll give it right back." He said and began to reach for the object once more, only to have the girl shake her head and hold it closer.

"What is the problem?" Ulquiorra asked as he approached the pair, intent to put an end to this ridiculous display.

"This…this _girl_ won't allow me to examine her barrettes. The obstinate little-" He said with restrained fury, immediately stopping himself to gather his wits. "Rather, the madam is opposed to me taking it apart to study the source of her power." He rephrased with forced composure.

Ulquiorra glanced at the girl, her eyes wide and somewhat desperate as he waited for an explanation from her.

"I can't," She said pleadingly. "My brother gave them to me, I can't let him break it." She shook her head frantically, denying them access to her precious fairies.

Ulquiorra continued to stare at her for a moment longer before calmly asking the other man, "Is it necessary for the analysis?" and watched as Orihime's eyes grew wide and distressed at his words.

"Anything relative to the girl is imperative to the results." He answered stiffly before several seconds of silence ensued.

"Leave her be," Ulquiorra finally said. "Let her keep them."

"You are spoiling her!" Szayel suddenly raged, his palm landing against the counter with more force.

"I said, leave her be." Ulquiorra repeated with quiet finality, glaring at the taller Espada from the corner of his eye.

Szayel's brow furrowed as he glowered at the man from behind a façade that he was straining to keep composed. "One of these days, Ulquiorra, I'm going to get the chance to have you strung up in my lab like a rat…" He said before leaning down slightly. "…and when that happens, you will be begging me for death." He intoned quietly before offering a crooked smile and turning away. "It's going to happen sooner than you think…" He trailed off as he walked away, chuckling sadistically.

From beside him, Orihime sighed as he continued to watch the bespectacled man saunter off, relief flooding her body as she finally allowed herself to relax. "Thank you-" She began, but was interrupted by Ulquiorra's abnormally impatient voice.

"What happened to your arm?" He inquired abruptly and waited until Szayel had fully left the lab before glancing back to her.

"My arm?" She repeated perplexedly, looking down at the pale limb that had been bared after Szayel had requested of her to remove her jacket in order for him to draw blood. She glimpsed at the small tracks that had been left by his needles, assuming it to be what Ulquiorra had been referring to, before suddenly gasping when she felt the frigid coldness of his hand gently wrapping around her arm.

"Who did this?" He asked again, his fingers angling her slightly as he took in the sight of the massive purple and blue bruise that covered her flesh nearly from her elbow to her shoulder.

"Oh, that…i-it's nothing really," She began, feeling distracted by the near glacially frigid bite of his fingers. She had felt his hand on her before, but always through the thickness of a sweater or her uniform, never on her bare skin. And never had she felt anything as cold as his flesh. It was not the simple chill of a normal touch. Rather, it was so terribly icy and bitter that it was actually quite…unnerving to feel direct contact with him. It almost felt as if she were being touched by a dead body.

And yet, even as he turned her arm once again to scrutinize the nasty contusion, she marveled at how remarkably tempered his grip was. It was nothing like the merciless hold that had caused the injury in the first place.

When he released the abused limb and moved away, heading for the door, Orihime snapped back to attention as she raced after him, a dreadful feeling sinking into her gut.

"Wait, where are you going?" She asked hastily, trying to catch up with him.

"It would seem as if I need to have a brief discussion with Grimmjow." He stated calmly.

"What are you going to do to him?" Orihime rushed forward to block his path. "You're not going to hurt him, are you?" She inquired with wide, concerned eyes.

"Does such a thought trouble you?" He inquired coldly, standing before her with his hands resting casually in his pockets. "Does it grieve you to know that he will be held accountable for your mistake?"

Orihime faltered for a moment, struggling to find the words to rebuff his sharply reproachful censures. "Please, it was my fault, I should have listened to you." She implored, trying to take all the blame. "He didn't mean anything by it, it was just an accident."

"You will stay here until I return." He stated dryly as he stepped around her, indifferent to her efforts to dissuade him, before he paused to remind her with a stern glance, "And this time, you will do as you're told." He intoned with the slightest edge in his inflection, and Orihime lowered her head in defeat as she listened to his footsteps fading further and further away from her. His stride was smooth and evenly paced as he made his way to the other side of the laboratory, heading for the exit.

After a stretch of silence, her eyes finally glanced back up upon hearing the large door close behind him. Her lips pressed themselves into a small, nervous frown as a twinge of trepidation gripped her chest. There was a part of her that erupted in a fit of frustration and annoyance, tired of being helpless to his callous orders. While another part of her quietly gave in and submitted, too afraid of causing more problems for the few friends she had made here in Las Noches.

Turning sharply on her heel, Orihime fought off the faint trembling of her fingers and tried to convince herself that Ulquiorra would never truly hurt Grimmjow over something that had originally been her fault.

Picking up her jacket, she gave one last brief glance to the door, hoping that he would prove her fears wrong.

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It wasn't hard for Ulquiorra to track down Grimmjow. With the woman currently out of the fourth tower and strutting around Las Noches like an enticing piece of meat, he could already sense several of the Espada closing in on the laboratory like a swarm of sharks, lured by her presence.

Grimmjow had gained the most ground in the shortest amount of time, however, and just as well, he was the closest to reaching the eighth tower. When Ulquiorra had spotted the man, he'd been strolling along the wide footpath that connected the central dome to the eighth tower.

Ulquiorra had stood patiently, waiting in the center of the pathway as he watched the taller man continue to saunter forward. The arrogant smirk on his roguish face only seemed to keep growing in size and attitude the closer he got, whilst his blue eyes glared directly into the toxic green of Ulquiorra's stare.

It was eerily silent when the larger man came to a halt several feet away, yet it was only seconds before his grin suddenly erupted into a large, wicked smile that flashed his dangerously sharp, white teeth. His loud, boisterous laugh echoed off the pillars that supported the tall awning overhead and reverberated outwards over the motionless sand dunes that blanketed the grounds of Las Noches.

With one glance, he could tell – he knew he'd finally done something to properly piss the pale man off.

"Well, well, well," Grimmjow chuckled merrily, wondering if this is what it was like to feel true joy. "What do I owe the pleasure, Ulquiorra?" He said and could already feel his pulse begin to increase at the mere prospect of fighting him. A muscle in his arm twitched excitedly before Grimmjow quickly settled himself against the temptation, anxious to feel the satisfaction of sinking his claws into him. The hell if he knew what he'd done to prompt this confrontation into action, but going by the dark look in Ulquiorra's eye, he'd clearly succeeded in doing it well.

"I knew you couldn't resist me for long," He said suggestively even as Ulquiorra stayed silent. "Everybody wants a piece of this, eventually." He smirked as he reached down to lewdly adjust himself. "It was only a matter of time before you grew some balls and got over that disgusting cowardice of yours."

Ulquiorra remained unmoved as he continued to stare at the man before him, unblinking and quiet.

"So, how do you wanna take it?" Grimmjow chuckled again. "I always did take you as the bitch type."

Grimmjow's wide grin began to slowly fade when Ulquiorra's blank expression proved utterly unaffected by his taunts. After several more seconds of silence, his condescending smirk dipped into a low frown as he glared at the smaller man, sick of his stillness and lack of articulation.

"What the fuck's your problem, you spineless little shit-" Grimmjow suddenly released a loud hiss as a cold hand wrapped tightly around his upper arm from behind, holding him firmly in place. With his sword arm effectively immobilized, Grimmjow instantly reached with his left hand for his Zanpakuto, only to have the unmerciful grasp of Ulquiorra's icy fingers trap his wrist in place, locking it by his hip and restricting any possibility he had of moving his arms.

"Damn it…" Grimmjow bit out lowly as he tried to jerk his arm away, but it was locked against the overpowering brace of his opponent, completely incapacitated at his side and held securely in place by the unrelenting and painful clutches of Ulquiorra's skeletal and merciless fingers. "You rotten piece of shit." He growled out over his shoulder, glaring at the man from the corner of his eye with a vicious snarl.

"You will leave the woman alone." Ulquiorra informed quietly as his grip remained steadfast and firm.

Grimmjow suddenly laughed. "That's what this is about?" He sneered contemptuously. "Why don't you let go of my arm, Ulquiorra," He dared derisively. "Let's see how tough you are then…"

Grimmjow had to grit his teeth and hold back another snarl as the pressure on his upper arm suddenly tightened harshly, boring in like bands of steel rods gouging through his flesh, damaging his arm in much the same manner that he had done to the girl, but so much worse.

"The next time you set foot in that room," Ulquiorra said coldly, his fingers gradually sinking into the meat of his muscle. "I will make sure even the woman will be unable to piece your corpse back together by the time I am through with you."

"Fuck…you…" Grimmjow ground out as he felt the warm rush of blood trailing down his elbow, soaking through his uniform and dripping to the cement below when Ulquiorra's fingers broke through several layers of tendons and dug deep into the muscle of his bicep before touching bone.

When there was an abrupt release in pressure, Grimmjow whipped around, ready to pull his sword on the shorter man and cleave him in two.

"Leave," His calm voice ordered, sounding out from the completely opposite end of the walkway, far from Grimmjow's reach. "I will not allow you to see the girl, you are simply wasting your time here." He said as he strode away, heading back into the eighth tower and refusing to fight him. Grimmjow nearly saw red as contempt quickly filled whatever remaining ounces of rational behavior he'd had left, utterly infuriating him with that pompous attitude of his.

"Get back here you gutless coward!" Grimmjow roared out, demanding satisfaction. "Don't think you're getting out of this that easily!"

"Getting out of what, Grimmjow?" A smooth voice inquired from behind him.

The blue haired man spun around, a vicious scowl on his face as he came eye to eye with Aizen Sosuke himself, smiling down on him as if he were intensely interested in hearing his answer. Grimmjow's eyes widened, shocked that the man had snuck up on him so easily and had seemingly appeared from nowhere.

He felt his anger reach a new high as he realized his chance to destroy the fourth Espada had once again been ripped right out from under him like so many other times before. He'd been robbed of his opportunity to settle the score.

He'd been cheated.

"Is something the matter, Grimmjow?" Aizen said calmly, though his eyes narrowed in on him with that sinister gleam shining in them, knowing all too well what would happened if he continued on in his endeavor to fight the pale man.

"It's nothing," He spat out irately, completely turning from them before stalking off in the direction from whence he had came.

Aizen's smiling eyes watched after him briefly as he moved by, remaining silent as he chuckled at his subordinate and his fiery temper.

"Is there something I can do for you, Lord Aizen?" Ulquiorra questioned as the brunette approached the large gateway leading to the eighth tower.

"Don't mind my presence," Aizen said casually as he passed by. "I'm just here to attend to some business I have with Szayel." He informed amiably while Ulquiorra's green eyes followed the man as he disappeared into the large turret, keeping a respectable distance.

When Ulquiorra arrived back in the laboratory, Orihime wasted no time as she rushed up to him, her eyes filled with worry and concern. "Come," He said, hoping to avoid any further confrontation with the other Espada. Already, he could sense them fast closing in on this place. Nnoitra was certain to be on top of them within minutes if he didn't get her out of here immediately. "It's time to go."

Her soulful brown eyes fell to his hand buried in his pocket, where she could see the dark crimson of blood staining the sleeve of his jacket.

"What did you do to him?" She questioned with wide eyes, believing the worst. And he watched as those eyes actually seemed to begin to water when he remained silent, ignoring her question.

"What did you to do him?!" She pressed again, demanding an answer.

Ulquiorra stood quietly, observing her expressive reaction with detached curiosity, wondering why she seemed to become so emotionally involved so inexplicably fast. Did she truly believe her heart to be attached to others? Is this why she was so psychologically weak, and yet, remarkably strong willed? An utter, and most baffling, contradiction.

"Come, we're leaving," He ordered again. "I have no patience for this-"

"Grimmjow says you're afraid of him." She said quietly, leveling him with a surprisingly condemning glare. She did not miss the way Ulquiorra gave her a direct and instant reaction when he seemed to stiffen, his eyes sliding back to her with a deliberate slowness. "Are you?" She said provokingly, feeling that she had somehow struck a nerve as she threw caution aside and continued to taunt him unwisely, treading towards dangerous waters.

"It would seem as if you are forgetting," He said softly as his hand reached up with measured purpose to touch her arm. "That I am not the one who did this to you." He finished quietly, his fingers deftly grazing over the bruise hidden under her jacket. Orihime's lips parted on a short gasp as those long, thin fingers suddenly wrapped around her arm and gave it a sufficient squeeze, tempered enough not to cause her pain, but adequately strong enough to remind her who had given it to her in the first place.

Her eyes lowered to the ground as a faint, delicate blush fanned over her cheeks when she felt him start to pull her closer, daring her to even try and suggest that he had been the one to wrong her. "The next time you feel the urge to disobey my orders," He said as he abruptly jerked her closer, whispering with a dangerous hush against her ear and taking dark delight in the uncontrollable shiver that his presence seemed to illicit from the girl. "He _will_ die." He stressed slowly, making sure she understood the severity of his words. "Do you understand?"

Orihime closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying to silence the wispy noise that had erupted in the back of her throat when she felt his cold lips brush a tender spot just below her ear. Her heart raced inside her chest in a confusing mixture of fear and desire as he finally began to ease away, relinquishing his hold over her.

She took in a quick, deep breath, absorbing a lungful of air that the room had seemed to be so desperately lacking only seconds prior.

Ulquiorra knew he needn't say a word more as he turned from her and headed for the door. He could hear her hesitant and light footsteps following along behind him, careful to keep a decent distance between them.

Perhaps, she would learn over time that it would be best for her to simply do as she was told, rather than deliberately rebelling against his orders and defying commands that he gave her for the specific purpose of keeping her alive. All of which were efforts that she seemed to be sabotaging at every turn.

Ulquiorra glanced at her from over his shoulder. Her hands were clasped together tightly and her eyes were kept low and reserved. Trailing behind him, her gait was steady, but slow and graceful.

His eyes suddenly fell to the swell of her hips, watching the way they curved and swayed with her movements, straining against the elasticity of her uniform.

If things continued as they were now, perhaps he should eventually just request for a transfer, Ulquiorra thought as he slowly dragged his eyes away. After all, the girl would only cause more trouble if she continued to try and rebel against him…

Nonsense.

Ulquiorra had dealt with a great many things in his life.

Controlling a human female was not going to become an issue for him now…he'd make sure of it.

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Grimmjow's eyes narrowed as he watched the scene play out before him. Something akin to jealousy planted itself deep within him as he observed the way they acted around one another. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned away and sauntered off, trying to regain his cool.

He'd been stupid enough to try and approach her again after all that bullshit. But when he saw her acting so distraught at the mere prospect that he had somehow met his end at Ulquiorra's hand, something had…stalled in him.

Then it just pissed him off.

After all, he'd treated her like shit. He'd hurt her.

The hell if he understood why he always lost himself to his fits of anger. And the hell if he understood why she seemed so forgiving of him…nobody had been so forgiving of him…

Grimmjow's brows narrowed as his frown deepened and a sour taste filled his mouth.

Then he started hating her.

Resentment filled his core when he saw the reaction she had provoked in Ulquiorra without even trying, a reaction that she'd succeeded in producing after a mere glare and few well placed words. Reactions that Grimmjow had failed to evoke from Ulquiorra after endless years of unsuccessful attempts to rile and vex him into a fight, all of which she had achieved with naught but a single, blushing glance.

When Grimmjow suddenly felt Ulquiorra's presence heading in a foreign direction, guiding her down a route that led away from the fourth tower, rather than to it, his blue eyes glanced behind him once more, curious to their destination.

_Where was he taking her?_ He thought with narrowed eyes.

As he sensed them making another turn, Grimmjow's smirk slowly slinked back across his face, realizing they were heading straight for the main arena. Turning back and retracing his steps, Grimmjow gave in to his gut curiosity and followed after them, certain that one way or another, he was going to at least get some entertainment out of today.

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TBC

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**OMG, I'm so tired!**

**If you liked the story/chapter, please support it with your review! Thank you!**


	7. Chapter 7

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CHAPTER 7

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"You…you're going to train me?" Orihime blinked curiously at the pale man before her. Perhaps she had heard wrong? Still, she felt absurdly nervous under his daunting stare as he slowly circled her, scrutinizing every crevice and curve of her body, seeking out her every strength and weakness with naught but his eyes. She could feel his reiatsu browsing over her from every angle, peering deeper into parts of her that the eye could not see.

"We are not training you." He said as he stepped closer. The strictly clinical, yet profoundly intense dissection of her by his eyes forced the girl to lift her arms in an attempt to cover herself. She felt as if he were going to reach inside her and pull her apart piece by piece, prying her skin away and delving into parts of her that he should never be able to touch, let alone see. "We are fixing you."

"Fix?" She repeated unsurely. "But I…I'm not broken." She said in an effort to reassure herself.

"You are Espada now," He said coldly. Leaving a single hand pocketed, his other quickly went to work on her insecure stance, pulling her arms away from her chest. "It is time you start acting as such." His motions were smooth and precise as he continued to stalk around her, his hand occasionally straightening her back, adjusting her hips and forcing her to lift her head whenever he saw something in her posture he didn't like. "In order for you to adequately serve your master, it is only fitting that your mind be expunged of all previous misconceptions and notions of weakness that have poisoned both your mind and body." He said monotonously when he came to a halt directly in front of her, staring her down with those taciturn eyes and inanimate expression.

Orihime bit her lip as a sense of vulnerability sank into her. It was really starting to wear on her how she could never tell what he was thinking when he looked at her like that. "I…I don't know if I can." She intoned self-consciously, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Orihime Inoue." He said stringently and her eyes immediately rose back to his. "You belong to Aizen Sosuke now. What you can and cannot do are solely for him to decide." He kept his hands secured in his pockets as she continued to stare up at him with wide, unblinking eyes, even as his remained stern and hard. "Tell me, who is your master?"

The girl hesitated for a moment before lowering her head again. Instantaneously, she could literally feel his eyes narrowing in on her from displeasure at the action. Pressing her arms tighter to her sides, she quickly snapped back to attention.

"Who is your master?" He repeated again and Orihime eyed him tentatively. He appeared so reserved and aloof, but she knew by the severity of his tone and the extra coldness in his eyes that he was not to be trifled with. He demanded eye contact, he drilled her with his words and she had learned from past experiences that he would admonish her for not giving in to the answers he wanted to hear.

"Lord Aizen…" Orihime submitted quietly, finding it extremely difficult to declare such a thing aloud. It felt wrong, yet even worse to have to proclaim such allegiances whist being mandated to look someone in the eye. The action was a type of cement and he knew it. It was a psychosomatic method that worked as a bonding agent to exploit her humanity, forcing her to feel like those words were factual and self-imposed, rather than something that, in truth, had been enforced on her.

"What is your purpose?"

Orihime wavered again. She did not know the words he wanted her to say and, just as well, she did not want to say them, no matter what they may be.

"Your purpose is to serve." He answered for her when he sensed her faltering. "Everything that you are means nothing if it does not please your master." He informed as he took a step closer, digging into her with his eyes. "In order to serve, you must cast aside all weakness. Friends are weakness. Bonds are weakness. Hearts are weakness." He stated dispassionately. "Weakness is death. To permit these things and place them above your master is disgrace."

Orihime felt a strange gnawing in the pit of her stomach at the thought of renouncing her friends. Her camaraderie with those around her had always been the basis of her life. It had been what kept her going in times of sorrow and despair. She had never fully lived for herself, as she always had and always would place them above herself for as long as she remained capable. It had forever made her want to get stronger, not weaker. So, why would anyone ever want to isolate themselves from the warmth of such happiness that friendship could give? If it brought love and the desire to strengthen oneself, for what purpose would discarding it serve?

"What is your purpose?" He asked once more and her lips moved, but paused. She did not like the idea of forsaking friendship. But she knew that in some way, she had to remain functional to Aizen and his army. She had to keep herself practical and positive. To continue to fight against them in every small endeavor would be unreasonable of her and even unintelligent, considering her very life, as well as her friends lives, could be put at risk should she happen to refuse them the wrong thing. Undoubtedly, over time, they would become less and less willing to tolerate her resistance.

Even if she verbally surrendered herself, certainly her heart would always keep the truth safe and secure, far from Ulquiorra's reaches.

"To serve…Lord Aizen." She finally intoned quietly, completely unable to escape his direct stare.

Apparently pleased with her answer, his cold eyes lifted from her as he stepped away.

"Draw out your shield." He ordered abruptly, causing the girl to tilt her head in a questioning glance.

"My shield?" She asked and then watched his eyes narrow slightly, clearly not wanting to repeat himself. Swallowing nervously, Orihime quickly erected the golden sheath without delay. Instantly, his arm lifted, shattering the glowing screen beside him effortlessly. Orihime gasped and took a step back, eying the pale man uncertainly.

"This is no longer of use to you." He said evenly as his eyes regarded her with an unapologetic luster lighting them. "You do not rely on others for strength. You do not rely on them for protection. You will only give these things to yourself and to your master. You will be self-reliant and dependent on no one." His quiet voice instructed, leaving no room for argument.

"But…" She began, but faltered. Bringing a hand up to cover her heart, she turned her head slightly and lowered her eyes to the floor. In truth, though his cold words did not sit entirely well with her, they did contain a seed of wisdom. For her to be wholly self-sufficient and no longer require the constant protection and coddling of her friends was a feeling she had yearned to know for quite some time now. With a forlorn sigh, she closed her eyes and dropped her hand from her chest, clasping it tightly together with its companion against her abdomen. "I am afraid I am unequipped for such things, Ulquiorra." She stated honestly. "Although I do wish for many of these talents, my strength does not equal that of others." She said, specifically remembering how Kisuke had unexpectedly taken her from the fight, banishing her from participating in the war due to her weaknesses.

Oh, how that had hurt her…

"Even if I was, I could never discard my friends, even for the sake of power. My heart wouldn't be able to bear it." She said before finally raising her gaze back to his. "I've only desired strength to keep my friends safe. But, if I no longer had them by my side, I would perish…there is no purpose in power if you have nothing to protect."

He was silent for a long while after, staring at her with somber and unreadable eyes. Feeling nervous under his gaze, she reached over and grabbed her forearm as she shifted her weight onto her other leg, looking anywhere but at him.

From the other side of the large arena, a powerful presence slowly started to move in closer, filling the space with their reiatsu. Glancing over, Orihime's eyes widened in shock when a massive silhouette appeared in the space of the stadium's entryway, nearly blocking out the entire region of the opening. Taking a step back, she watched as the dark skinned, muscular male that she vaguely remembered as 'Yammy' stalked through the doorway.

"Yo, Ulquiorra!" He called out roughly with a slight frown spread across his mouth. "What the fuck's with you?" He yelled angrily. "You told me to meet you at the tower and then bail on me? You said you wanted me to fight someone, what's goin' on?"

Orihime had a terrible sense of foreboding in that instant and quickly began to send out silent prayers, hoping that Ulquiorra wasn't going to make her do what she believed he would.

"You say that strength only comes from the desire to protect," He stated quietly as Yammy continued to approach them from half way across the stadium. Her eyes tore themselves away from the sizeable man and returned to Ulquiorra. She stood tensely as she watched him from her peripheral slowly begin to circle around to her side once more, boring into her with the steely edge of his gaze. "You recall your encounter with Yammy in the world of the living," He intoned and when he heard no rebuttal from her, he continued. "Ichigo Kurosaki attempted to fight him, did he not?"

Orihime's eyes suddenly lowered to the ground. She shook her head and reached up to press her hand against her mouth, her knuckle clamped tight against her lips as tears began to quickly sting at her eyes when she realized exactly where he was going with this.

"You say friendship is the only thing that enables others to survive…yet, when Ichigo Kurosaki tried to protect you with this 'friendship' you speak of-"

"Please, don't," She said and felt her chest straining.

"He ordered you to stay away, to remain out of the battle because he knew you were weak." He said as his slow steps sauntered around behind her, apathetically studying the girl and her sudden display of weakness and inadequacy brought on by the simple mentioning of the boy's name. "But you ignored him in favor of upholding the standard of your precious beliefs in friendship…tell me, woman, what happened to Ichigo Kurosaki when you offered him the protection of your friendship?"

She immediately turned away when he came around side of her, averting her eyes so he wouldn't see her tears. She shook her head mildly, refusing to feed into his criticism.

"Ichigo Kurosaki nearly died because of your interference. He became weak and useless as his attention was diverted away from the enemy and forced onto you and your meddling intrusion. He lost control of his power and became ineffective." He stated slowly, watching her every reaction closely. "Ichigo Kurosaki was not empowered by your heart…he was weakened by it." He said as he stopped before her, challenging her to look him in the eye. "That is the power of the heart, woman - as it is only natural that failure becomes inevitable when one places their faith into something that does not exist."

Orihime's heart ached terribly, but when she felt his hand suddenly at her temple, her eyes shot up to his in confusion. "Ulquiorra?" She said softly at the sensation of his cold fingers brushing back her hair, only to nimbly wrap them around the small barrette there, slowly tugging it free of her titan strands as her eyes questioned him.

"You will not call out for Ichigo Kurosaki," He stated coldly as he turned from her and began to walk away, tucking the barrette into his pocket. "You will not call out for your friends," Orihime's eyes were wide and disbelieving as she watched him leave her, her arms trembling slightly at her sides when she sensed the large, ominous shadow slowly glide over her form. "You will not call out for me," Her watery, brown eyes suddenly dilated when she set her sights on the bulky man coming up behind her, his smile slowly widening. "You will fight him…and you will win at any cost."

Her gaze shot back to Ulquiorra, feeling strangely hurt and abandoned by him as she watched his back moving away from her, utterly unemotional.

"Yammy, do with her as you will." He ordered coldly and the larger man chuckled.

"Sounds fun…" Yammy said darkly.

"No, wait!" Orihime cried, reaching out for him when he suddenly disappeared from sight. She had little time to cry out another plea to him before a massive fist abruptly slammed down beside her with a mighty strength, shaking her entire world and forcing her to her knees. Orihime shrieked as rubble and dust clouded her vision and choked her lungs.

"He's gone, bitch," Yammy intoned angrily, as if he were offended she was not interested in fighting him. "I'm your opponent, fight me!" He demanded. He had come here with the promise of a good fight and after being blatantly stood up by Ulquiorra early that day, he was ready to take some of his frustrations out on the girl.

Orihime's legs were shaking so bad she couldn't stand. She looked up to the large man in a panic, hoping that perhaps he may listen to reason. "Please, I don't want to fight you!" She tried to negotiate, only to release another screech as his fist came down on her again. She had barely managed to stumble out of the way when, this time, his fist came down directly on top of her. He had been ready to take her life.

"You think you're too good to fight me or something?" The large man bellowed.

With the ground shaking under her very legs, Orihime lost what little balance she had attained and landed once more on the ground. Her lungs heaved out a heavy cough as dust filled her airways and her trembling arms tried to push herself up enough to rest her weight on her hip. She couldn't continue to dodge his attacks like this. She couldn't do anything against him without her Shun Shun Rikka. Even with them, he had already proven once before that he could easily destroy her.

"You think you're better than everyone else, just because Aizen pampers your ass and Ulquiorra spoils the shit out of you?" His foot lifted, ready to come down on her with much force, holding nothing back. Orihime gasped in terror as her body froze in horror and time itself seemed to stand still.

"Hey! What the fuck's going on in here?" A loud, obnoxious voice cut through the room and like the shattering of glass, Orihime snapped back to her senses. When Yammy's foot stopped at the interruption, the large man stumbled over himself, tripping several times before quickly righting himself and turning to glare at the annoying intruder.

"You fuckin' with pet-sama without my permission, pea brain?" Nnoitra called loudly as he sauntered forward, his swagger reeking of overconfidence.

"I don't need your permission for anything, Nnoitra," Yammy declared. "Now get lost."

Nnoitra frowned. "If anybody's going to mess with the bitch, it's going be me. Got it, you fugly dipshit?" He growled harshly as his long Zanpakuto was violently swung from his shoulder. The oversized blade slammed into the ground, deeply imbedding the black edge into the hard concrete of the arena's flooring.

"I'm going to crush your scrawny ass to dust, Nnoitra." Yammy seethed, completely turning his attention away from Orihime.

"We'll see about that, you moronic whoreson." Nnoitra chuckled as he rested his forearm against the lengthy handle of his weapon, leaning into it heavily.

"I ain't moronic!" He roared, ready to charge.

"Oi, Ulquiorra," Nnoitra suddenly called harshly, looking up to the rafters where a long balcony sat obscurely hidden. "Why don't you call off your dog, already?" He sniggered sharply and Orihime glanced up, shocked to see Ulquiorra standing above the carnage, staring down on the scene vacantly.

He…had been watching the whole time?

And he hadn't put a stop to it sooner?!

She had nearly died!

Her heart ached in her chest suddenly as the painful feeling of betrayal crept into her heart. Even if it hadn't been explicitly, Orihime had bestowed Ulquiorra with some level of trust and it hurt more than she thought it ought to in realizing he'd completely crushed that trust without hesitation.

"Why don't you let me have a turn at pet-sama, eh?" His smile widened as he leaned over, putting all of his weight on his imposing Zanpakuto while he eyed the man closely. "I'll show her a real good time…" He chuckled and when Ulquiorra simply looked on without a word, Nnoitra's laugh grew loud and sadistic.

The pale man's silence was all the affirmation he needed.

Wrapping his fingers around the hilt of his weapon, Nnoitra easily pulled it from the floor.

"Hell, no!" Yammy stepped forward menacingly, protesting the lanky man's interference. "She's mine, go find some other bitch to fuck around with, you insect!" Yammy's scowl was foul and heated as moved at him, clenching his fist while he aimed it at the offensive Espada.

Nnoitra's leg lifted to take a single step, disappearing before he'd even set foot on the ground.

"Hello, pet-sama,"

Orihime's helpless eyes lifted as he suddenly appeared before her, his face leaning in close, his Zanpakuto sharp and lethal and held high, ready to strike.

She felt her fingers curl in the dust and debris that had settled around her on the floor when, as if in slow motion, she watched his wicked grin spread across his face – death twinkling at her in his one visible eye as she became wrapped in his immense reiatsu.

Her pupils shrank and her heart stopped and instinct took over every cell in her body.

"Tsubaki!" She screamed piercingly, clenching her eyes shut and tensing her shoulders.

In a flash, a bright light shot down from the rafters from where Ulquiorra stood. Jetting forward like an arrow on a mission that left fiery amber sparks in its wake as it zipped through the air faster than her dangerous attacker could anticipate. It sliced forward with a precise sharpness and Nnoitra's eye shot open dramatically when he felt the deep slash cut through the hierro flesh of his neck from behind, drawing blood.

Peeking open her eyes, Orihime watched as the slender male reached up with a disbelieving look on his face to touch the side of his neck. When he pulled his fingers away from the small incision, only to see blood, his frown deepened gruesomely as he leveled his eye on her again.

"You little bitch…" He muttered hatefully.

She hadn't even seen him move as Santa Teresa was suddenly gorged deep into the earth beside her. The swiftness of the attack swooshed her hair aside in its strength as she sat frozen, staring up at the man before her.

"That was a warning shot, pet-sama." He said as he leaned down further and Orihime bolted.

Nnoitra cackled hysterically and suddenly she was jerked backwards, falling to the floor on her backside as his Zanpakuto slammed into the ground, trapping her cape in its clutches. Her frantic eyes looked back, mortified to see he had caught her so quickly…she hadn't even taken a full step. She was panting and erratic in her movements. Never had she felt more like a weak and helpless animal being cruelly tortured and toyed with. Instinct was driving her every move.

When she saw that the blade's sharpness had tore the material, Orihime put all of her weight into her movements, shredding the fabric until she was finally free, only to be jerked backwards once more as his foot landed on the remnants.

"Where ya going, pet-sama?" He chuckled and Orihime immediately stripped herself of the troublesome coat, running from him. "Don't you want to play with me?" He licked his lips offensively and suddenly her back was slammed into a wall, causing her to shriek out in pain.

His movements were so fast, she couldn't even see them coming.

Her breathing was short and labored as she looked up in time to watch his lanky figure block out the light above her. She saw his scythe rising again and she hardened her features, trying to find her inner strength. Her fairies were gone, but now that she knew they were still in the room, all she had to do was concentrate on them. She could feel them if she tried hard enough.

"Santen Kesshun!" She called desperately as the familiar light of her shield spread out before her, protective and comforting…it was shattered after naught but a second. The strength of his blow was so intense that she was forced back into the wall, sliding down against it weakly after feeling the pain of the impact momentarily cripple her and jumble her senses.

"I'm gonna rip your fucking throat out, pet-sama." Nnoitra purred from above her, leaning down to smoothly wrap his long fingers around the delicate column of her neck, slowly pulling her to him. "But first, I think I should at least enjoy myself a little…" His eyes fell to her chest appreciatively and Orihime stiffened.

"No!" Orihime screeched frantically, pushing against him while he only laughed at her efforts. "No, no! Kurosaki-kun!" She very nearly screamed. "Kurosaki-kun, Kurosaki-kun!" She called over and over, making the tall man frown in annoyance. When she suddenly grabbed his wrist before angling her head down to bite him harshly, Nnoitra cursed and threw her back against the wall.

"Fuck…" He complained as he shook the appendage free of the annoying sting.

Immediately, another shield was called forth, separating her from her attacker. Dragging his eyes away from the tiny bite mark, Nnoitra merely looked down at her with a displeased grimace as he lifted his foot and shattered the offending and useless safeguard with the heel of his boot.

"I think I've had about enough of this game, already." He growled out, swinging his scythe down on her only to be met with another shield.

"Stop! Please!" She called out pleadingly as shield after shield was broken. She was exhausted and clearly defeated, she couldn't take anymore. "Kurosaki-kun!" She sobbed. She was cornered like a frightened animal. She couldn't run, couldn't move and could scarcely continue to call upon her shields fast enough to block his assaults.

Nnoitra laughed almost mockingly at her tears. "He ain't coming! Give it up already!" He taunted as he pierced another shield.

Again she cried his name and again he didn't come. Her tearful eyes looked up, seeing Ulquiorra's cold, green eyes staring down at her. "Please, Ulquiorra!" She cried out to him. "Ulquiorra-kun, please! Ulquiorra-kun!" Trying again to summon another shield, the girl failed as the force of his last attack sent her to the floor. When she felt Nnoitra's blade coming down on her one last time, Orihime curled in on herself and wrapped her arms over her head as fear like she'd never known before filled her body and one last time, she cried desperately, "Ulquiorra!"

Her heart raced in her chest as she waited for the pain.

It was so long in coming that she looked up, only to gasp at seeing a familiar back facing her, shielding her from Nnoitra's attack.

"Gri…Grimmjow-kun?" She breathed in astonishment.

"Hey, princess," He said through grit teeth. His eyes remained locked with the displeased glare of the man in front of him, all the while his injured arm staved off the deadly curve of Nnoitra's blade. Orihime seemed frozen in shock as she continued to stare at the blue haired man before her, unable to believe her very eyes.

"Well, don't just fucking sit there, you stupid bitch!" He barked out and then grunted stiffly as Nnoitra pressed harder upon seeing the bloody wound that was still fresh on Grimmjow's right arm, the very arm that Nnoitra's blade was currently buried several inches deep within. It was an opening they both knew he would exploit quickly and easily.

Hearing the harsh command, Orihime pushed herself to her feet, fighting back the shaking of her legs as she ran from the corner she had been trapped in.

"I've been looking forward to a moment like this for a long time, Grimmjow." Nnoitra chuckled quietly. "But it would be rather rude of me to just ignore pet-sama in favor of a worthless varmint such as yourself." He said as his foot suddenly shoved into Grimmjow's chest. "Sorry…" He intoned sarcastically before forcibly kicking him back into the wall behind them. "But I'll have to decline!"

The blue haired man immediately went for his sword, but the damage Ulquiorra had left was deep and maiming, slowing his arm down significantly. Nnoitra's Zanpakuto was coming down on him before he knew it and all he could do was dodge, shooting up into the rafters.

With a quick sonido, Nnoitra was standing before Orihime with his grin securely back in place and Grimmjow couldn't seem to move fast enough.

"Enough." Ulquiorra's cold voice called out from above them.

Nnoitra's movements stuttered to halt as he hastily snapped his head up, glaring at the pale man viciously. "Fuck off, Ulquiorra. Just stay out of this, you pompous fop!"

Swiftly putting aside all his reserves, Nnoitra's patience seemed to run completely dry in that moment as he swung back around. His blade was aimed with sharp precision and its metal held the terrifying promise to carve her in two without mercy.

Orihime gasped as one moment she was watching Santa Teresa coming down on her, and the next she was across the room in less than a second's time. She hadn't even had a chance to blink as the scenery abruptly switched around her in a manner that was far too fast her to register.

"Leave," Ulquiorra said frigidly. His hand had remained locked around her arm to steady her as she faltered beside him, staggering against the suddenness of something that had seemed so instantaneous it left her mind and body stammering. "None of you are needed here any longer."

"Don't be such a tease, Ulquiorra," Nnoitra laughingly taunted from behind them. "That's like giving me hot piece of ass and taking it away just before I can get myself off." He chuckled wickedly and Orihime's cheeks burned red.

"How vulgar," Ulquiorra sighed as he closed his eyes and turned his head away from the obscene man.

Nnoitra laughed even louder. "No need to be so uptight. Everybody knows your fucking pet-sama." He cackled before swinging his scythe around violently, slamming into the ground where he could lean heavily against the large weapon once more. "Come on, you can tell me…is she as good as she looks?" He purred and Orihime felt her face explode with color as his bawdy language echoed through the arena. Crossing his foot over his ankle, he stared the smaller man down mockingly. "I'll bet that pussie gets nice and wet for you at night..."

Orihime felt his hand turning her with him as he steered her to the exit, completely ignoring the other man.

"Do those giant tits get that _heart_ of yours pumping fast…"

Orihime flinched as Ulquiorra's grip suddenly tightened around her arm and felt as every muscle in the man's body stiffened.

Nnoitra's keening laughter was barely noticeable as it became swiftly overshadowed by the dark aura that surrounded the smaller man and filled the room. However, the moment was gone as soon as it had arrived, and yet the fifth Espada was still clearly taking delight in this. It was something that Orihime didn't understand at all as she looked from one man to the other, but Ulquiorra's expression was unreadable. Nnoitra's laughter only continued to grow in volume as Ulquiorra urged her forward once more, leading her away from the large arena and into the wide entryway before releasing her.

She glanced back into the stadium briefly, wary of everything around her, before very hesitantly she began to follow after the relative safety of Ulquiorra. As they passed through the long channel, Orihime's eyes fell to a figure standing silently in the shadows of the access tunnel. With long blonde hair and a dark complexion, the stern looking woman kept her arms folded over her generous chest as she watched the pair walk by without a word, her eyes mostly fixated on Orihime.

Feeling uneasy, Orihime moved a little closer to Ulquiorra while casting wary, but curious glances the stranger's way, even as Ulquiorra didn't spare her a single look.

Traveling back through the dome and navigating the long halls of Las Noches had taken nearly an hour before they finally reached her room. It was such a queer feeling to actually have a sense of relief to be back in her cell, safe and quiet and away from the violence of that arena.

When he opened the door for her, she hurried past Ulquiorra, not even casting him a sideways glance as she tried to put as much distance between them as quickly as she could.

"Woman," The sound of his voice stopped her and she sent him a wary look, keeping her lashes low to avoid direct eye contact. She saw her hairpins resting in his palm, waiting for her to retrieve them from him. Her trembling fingers began to reach out for them, but abruptly back away.

She couldn't get the image of that cold look in his eyes out of her head. The way he'd just stared down at her, waiting for her to be slaughtered. She felt a sob suddenly erupt from the back of her throat as tears filled her eyes. It was not a violent sob, nor was it an overabundant flood of tears, but they were there because the one person she relied on for protection had failed her. He had forced her into that hellish fight and purposefully left her defenseless.

Orihime had never felt so violated or alone and frightened than she had in that moment.

"Why did you do that to me?" She whispered quietly, her voice laced with anger and pain as she sought an answer.

"Do what?" He asked calmly and she nearly cringed at his impassivity.

"You were willing to let me die out there," She said with furrowed brows and dejected eyes. "You were going to let him kill me."

"Nonsense." He nearly scoffed and Orihime's eyes shot up, shocked by the first display of agitation she'd ever seen in the man, the first small sign of emotion. "You are alive, are you not?" He asked with stern eyes that glared into her own soft orbs.

"I…" She paused before narrowing her gaze in an abrupt rush of annoyance. "Only thanks to Grimmjow-kun!" She intoned seriously as he continued to look down on her as if she were speaking nonsense. "I almost died."

"Oh?" He said quietly as he stepped forward and she immediately took one back, intimidated. "Do you have any wounds on your body? Are you injured in any way?" He inquired stoically and Orihime was at a loss for words. Ulquiorra could not begin to understand what sort of flawed logic drove the girl. She cried when she was happy, she cried when she was sad, she cried when she was angry. It was pitiful.

"Well…no, I don't, but-"

"Tell me, how is your life at risk when you do not even bare a scratch on your body?" He inquired smoothly as he lifted his hand and effortlessly tucked her hairpins into the breast of her torn dress, gliding them over the hem steadily until they were securely in place. Orihime blushed madly as she felt his cold fingers graze her cleavage, even as he apparently remained unaffected, not even taking his eyes away from hers. "By all means, you have emerged unwounded…and yet you still complain." He said and though his voice did not hold much criticism, he spoke slowly, as if he didn't quite grasp what she was so upset about.

Had she completely forgotten that the only party to receive injury, no matter how small, was Nnoitra? She had actually survived the wrath of an Espada and had surfaced with even this minor victory. Did she truly just cast all of this, all of her small but meaningful achievements aside simply because he did not rush to her aid when she beckoned him? To think the constant sheltering of her companions had numbed her to so many external factors, it was almost fascinating that all this madness had been brought about simply due to her belief in the heart.

Orihime blinked and tried to keep her features stern, but with little success. It didn't matter what he was saying, didn't it? One should always run to the defense of another, especially a friend, whether it was needed or not…right?

"You left me…" She said softly and lowered her eyes as she got to the heart of the problem, as she realized it wasn't because he'd made her fight them that she was so saddened, it was because he'd left her when she called out for him in such a terrifying moment of need. The abandonment she had felt was so crippling it had stunned her. Did she truly mean so little to him? "I didn't have the strength to-"

"I only left you because you did have the strength…you simply chose not to use it until now." He said reprovingly, finding her displays of weakness more annoying than he would care to admit. Even if he had made her unhappy, Ulquiorra shouldn't have been able to create such a profound impact on her emotional security in the first place, yet to see that he had was rather…alarming.

Without another word, he turned from her, intent on leaving the room.

"Ulquiorra?" She questioned quietly and only continued when she felt she had gained his attention as he paused in the door. "Do you…think I'm weak?" She asked hesitantly and silence filled the room before he finally answered,

"…yes."

"Oh." Orihime said in a small voice as she closed her eyes tightly against the tears and turned away, trying to force a tiny smile onto her face. "I see." She had known what his answer would be…and yet it still hurt. More than she'd care to admit.

"That does not mean I believe you are not valuable."

Orihime's heart leapt so hard in her chest that her hand had involuntarily jerked up to clutch it tightly, her breath catching in her throat. She lifted her head to catch a glimpse of his retreating figure as the door slid shut behind him, casting her in darkness.

It was the strangest thing.

She felt speechless. She felt alive.

She felt…happy.

Ulquiorra thought she was…valuable?

.

.

.

"Are you sure the information we've been given is correct?" A whispering voice inquired of its companions as they sped through the sand drenched wasteland of Hueco Mundo.

They were swift and quiet as they kept their formation tight and clean. While remaining hidden in the shadows of Las Noches, each of them moved stealthily around its perimeter. They had been given a mission that was not given to most, they had been entrusted with a covert task, and they were going to accomplish it at any price.

"Of course, Captain Hitsugaya gave us the order himself." Another replied as their eyes took in the bleak sight of the barren wilderness of the desert. Most of them had never been to such an environment in the span of their respectable carriers. Such inexperience had left the majority of their small group overtly cautious and vigilant as they became mistrustful of every rock, building or hill they crossed, never knowing what awaited them on the other side.

"Isn't this going against the direct order of the Captain Commander, though?" One of them intoned warily, broaching the subject that they had all been avoided, knowing that all Shinigami personnel had been forbidden from entering the realm of the Hollows. Themselves included.

"Yes, but the Captain warned each of us beforehand about the repercussions should we be caught, either by Shinigami or Arrancar alike." He answered reproachfully, annoyed to see that his comrade was showing doubts when he had already proclaimed his understanding and assurances about this mission to their Captain. "I cannot imagine the Captain would ever disobey the Commander without good reason…even in circumstances such as this." He answered, his faith in his superior apparent.

They were breaking the law and each of them knew it. It had put the lesser experienced members on edge as, by now, they were not only wary of Hollows attacking them, but their Shinigami comrades who may be sent to retrieve the wayward subordinates, as well.

"Both of you, be quiet." A stern voice hissed sharply as they weaved in and out of darkness before stopping at the bottom of tall sand dune. "We're going to get caught if you keep yammering!"

Just then, another figure emerged from behind an enormous dune and approached the small group of Shinigami, nodding in acknowledgment. "Our informant says the girl's being held in the fourth tower. Apparently, it's on the southernmost side of the castle, at least an hour away."

"Damn, that far?" Their leader said, wrapping his fingers around his chin as he thought silently. "We're going to have to move fast, the longer we stay here, the more vulnerable we become."

"Oh…now what do we have here?" A sharp voice muttered from above the ragtag team of Shinigami, causing each of their heads to jerk up at the sound as their hands reached defensively for their Zanpakuto's, gripping their hilts in anticipation of attack. "Shinigami, eh? A little out of your element here, aren't you?" The voice cackled, its figure outlined by the bright glow of the moon behind the lanky silhouette.

Standing with his large scythe buried in the sand under his feet, Nnoitra smirked down on the men below him. Perched on the large dune that overshadowed them, he only grinned wider as each of the men drew their swords before he could finish his introduction.

"We're here for the girl, hand her over, Hollow!" Their leader announced.

Nnoitra's laugh was loud and full as he jerked Santa Teresa from the ground in a broad swing before resting it on his shoulder. "Straight to the point, eh? I like that." He said as he took slow, measured steps down the steep slope of the sandbank.

"Stay alert!" One of the men shouted, readying his small band of troops. "Don't take your eyes off the enemy-"

Nnoitra was standing before them in a flash, his malicious grin suddenly gone and replace with a disgusted frown.

"You know…I really hate you Shinigami bastards…" He said quietly.

The night remained eerily silent for moments afterward.

There hadn't even been a scream.

.

.

.

"How many men are there?" Aizen asked as he made his way through the pristine white halls of Las Noches. His steps were graceful and his pace was uninterrupted while he easily navigated around a wide corner that opened up into a long, vast passageway that seemed to stretch for miles. It was bright and majestic, with imperial pillars that braced the length of the high arched ceiling.

"Apparently, there were five," Gin said from beside him as they stopped at the landing to a wide and incredibly large column of steps that led down to the dungeons of the fortress. "They all seem to range from differing divisions and squads, though…how very strange." He said with a wide grin and a small chuckle. "What on earth do you think they could have been after…Capt'n?"

Aizen smirked distractedly at the man's sarcasm while his clever brown eyes stared down the long row of steps before him.

"None of them seem to be too willing to talk, unfortunately." Gin sighed distraughtly. "Whatever shall we do with them?"

"…call for Ulquiorra."

Gin's deviant chuckle seemed to crawl over the walls and wrap around the columns like a snake.

"I don't get to see our new visitors?" Gin said with false dejection and shook his head slightly, causing his platinum hair to shimmer against the blaring whiteness of this place, before he turned away from the brunette with a resigned, and wholly contrived, sigh. "And here I was so looking forward to it. Such a pity." He said as he casually stalked off.

Aizen remained silent, sparing him no further acknowledgments as he ignored the slender man's words and waited for his presence to disappear. When Gin had left, Aizen took the steps with a slow airiness. Elegant and smooth, he seemed to glide down them one by one as the atmosphere around him grew darker and darker still. The static white walls of his beloved Las Noches faded into the background as he descended into the gloomy under pit of the dungeon.

"Nnoitra," Aizen said as he approached the man standing guard beside a cellar door.

"I kept them alive, just for you…Lord Aizen." Nnoitra said with a sadistic grin, sniggering to himself about something he seemed to find very, very amusing.

"Did you?" Aizen's dapper appearance was immensely skewed in the murky shadows of Las Noches' underbelly, making his usual amiable smirk appear sinister and terrifying. The filth of the darkness in this place had reached out and peeled away the mask, for no amount of light could ever reveal what lay hidden in the man's mind. It was only in the obscurity of such blackness, the kind which matched the color of his soul, that his true ugliness could be seen. "How could I ever thank you enough?" He intoned fluidly as he stepped past the sniggering man.

Entering into the dim room, the five battered Shinigami looked up to see the frightening sight of Aizen Sosuke closing in on them. His smile was mild and his eyes were soft, but there was something in them that was ghastly and unfathomable that spoke to the evils of this man and his wickedness.

"_Aizen_," One of the men hissed spitefully, as if the very name sickened him. As if it were a taboo to even think it.

Aizen grinned.

"My, how unpleasant, it seems the use of manners have become obsolete in light of my absence." He said as he slowly took in the sight of the men shackled to the walls, each of them looking worse for wear.

"You disgusting monster!" One of them bellowed and rushed at him, ignoring his chains. The man was instantly forced into the ground under the tyrant's massive spiritual pressure, nearly choking the life out of him.

"No manners, whatsoever…" He sighed softly. "Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me who sent you here?" He queried amiably, danger leaking from every pore of his body and every syllable that was uttered from his mouth.

"We're not telling you anything!" Another rebelled violently, refusing to be intimidated by the brunette.

"You do realize that by coming here, you have broken the treaty set in place by Soul Society itself?"

All of them remained silent, deliberately ignoring his questions as they continued to glare at the menacing man.

"No answer?" He titled his head slightly, his brow lifting curiously. "Very well, I truly did not wish to resort to this…" He sighed with false regret. "Ulquiorra," Aizen called softly over his shoulder. The room was hushed for seconds afterwards before his rich brown eyes glanced at the men one last time. "Perhaps, you will come around soon enough." His velvety voice grew startlingly hushed before he turned from them.

Several eyes in the room narrowed hatefully while others widened in fear as a pale figure appeared in the doorway, silent and watching, its eyes glowed out from the darkness like a creature born of misery.

Aizen paused beside the shorter man as he glided from the room.

"Torture them until they talk," He ordered with a quiet, empty voice, his face void and unreadable. "Then kill them."

Ulquiorra remained silent as the door gradually slid shut behind him, casting the dim room into a cold and bitter chill as it filled with his reiatsu.

"My name is Ulquiorra Cifer," He said slowly as he calmly stepped forward. His eyes shone brightly through the blackened night, wicked and glossy, they reflected the paltry beams of moonlight that slipped though the barred window like glass. "And you will tell me everything you know." He intoned, muted and hushed against the silence of the cell around him.

The only sound to break the hum of silence – was the fateful click of the door locking shut behind him.

.

.

.

Orihime lifted her head as another agonized scream echoed out through the night. It sent chills down her spine and she shook her head, quickly looking away from the window. Las Noches truly did have the worst noises she'd ever heard.

Running a brush through her hair, she took a moment to pull her barrettes out from the breast of her uniform, blushing slightly as she recalled Ulquiorra's fingers casually tucking the precious adornments there. Eying herself in the mirror, she pulled her bangs back before fastening the sparkling ornament into its rightful place by her temple.

Pulling back from her reflection, Orihime examined her herself in the long mirror of the chifferobe. She frowned as she saw some dust still sitting on the waist of her dress and quickly wiped it away before resuming her close examination.

She'd never paid much attention to her looks before, at least not compulsively, that is. She supposed she was aware enough to worry about her style of clothes or if her hair was mussed and even the occasion dab of makeup, but she was never vain. Even when she was around Ichigo, all she could think about was him and what he was doing and how he was doing it and who he was doing it with. She'd never stopped to contemplate herself and how she appeared to him or if she pleased him or not. So focused was she on _Kurosaki-kun_ that she had hardly taken notice of how the boy she loved even viewed her.

She ran her hands distractedly over the sides of her breasts, taking in their size before tilting her head curiously, pouting her lips as she thought to herself.

…did Ulquiorra like big breasts?

Orihime blinked.

Immediately, her hands reached up to cover her heated cheeks. How silly of her to think such a thing, she thought with a sigh. Why on earth would she care about his views on women's breast sizes? As far as she was concerned, the only man's opinion that mattered was Kurosaki-kun's…the boy who blushed and stuttered and became indignant every time a form of womanly sexuality was presented to him; either in the form of Yoruichi-san's nude body or Rangiku-san's efforts to reduce the number of fastened buttons on her blouse.

But her mind once again drifted back to that word.

Valuable.

Did he truly mean that?

Her friends had always preached about how important and helpful she was to the team. They would defend her honor fervently if anyone ever disputed this. Even Ichigo had been put up in arms when Kisuke had banned her from the war.

Although, she did not always feel personally useful to the group equation, Orihime had still followed these strict set of ideals, in that she believed her friends considered her truly valuable to themselves and to their team, even if Orihime did not. Yet...if so, why had they never allowed her to fight? Why was it that every time she had tried to offer help, she was told to stay back – to just sit and watch and clean up the damage in the aftermath?

As a chilly shiver raked over her arms, Orihime tossed her brush onto the counter of the dresser before wrapping her fingers around the small knob of the door. Pulling it open, she sifted through the hangers to drag out a new jacket.

"Hey, princess," A somber voice called from the door.

Orihime whipped her head around. She was still unused to the abrupt comings and goings of the many people who came to see her, always seeming to appear out of nowhere and sneak up on her with ease. "Grimmjow-kun?" She said, a little startled by his appearance. "What are you doing here?" She asked worriedly, only to stop short when she noticed the strange look on his face.

He had his hands pocketed at his sides and his face was rather solemn looking, never quite meeting her eyes. He looked as though he, himself, didn't know why he was here.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly as he invited himself into her room.

"Me? Why the hell wouldn't I be?" He scoffed and Orihime thought he looked very glum, despite his words. Her brown eyes landed on his arm, where not only one but two wounds were still present and bleeding.

"Grimmjow-kun! You're arm!" She gasped in horror as she rushed over, throwing her jacket aside to reach him.

"Huh?" He blinked distractedly, not quite catching up with her words before looking down at the deep gash left by Nnoitra's blade as well as the large gouges that Ulquiorra had inflicted. It had started to close up earlier that day, but was soon reopened by that scuffle in the arena. "Oh, that…It's nothing, don't worry about it." He said as she started to pull back the sleeve of his jacket that had been glued to his arm by fresh and dry blood alike.

"Don't be so stubborn," She said as her lips pursed out while she studied the lesions. Grimmjow couldn't seem to stop staring at the full shape of those lips.

"Keh, I said don't worry about it," He huffed as he looked away, annoyed.

"Of course I'm going to worry!" She said with a small smile when she realized how much more approachable he seemed when he was moping. Without thought, she immediately called on her fairies, sending them out to gently spread over his arm.

"I said, I don't want your help!" He suddenly snapped, breaking the shield and pushing her away from him harshly.

Orihime stumbled back, regarding him with a look of alarm and confusion that blemished her beautiful eyes.

And then her chin started to quiver and her eyes watered and before he knew it she sniffled hard as her face distorted into the most hideous thing Grimmjow had quite possibly ever seen.

"I…I'm so sorry," She hiccupped. "I just wanted t-to help since you...you…"

Grimmjow growled and cursed under his breath as he rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly. "For fuck's sake…just cut it out already, princess!" He demanded harshly. "All your damn crying is so bloody annoying."

She very nearly started bawling.

It sounded even worse than usual as the girl's sobs were only intensified by the fact she was trying that much harder to hold them back, making them sound horrendous and gross.

"Damn it…" He hissed as she held in a wail that had lodged in the back of her throat, only to have it squeak out in time with her hiccups.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Grimmjow-kun." She said as she wiped at her tears in a fruitless effort to rid them from her eyes. "I just don't understand what you always get so angry about. I only wanted to help you. You were so kind to me…I just…" She stammered on uselessly as she lowered her head, trying to hide her tears.

"Alright, alright! Enough, already!" He spat out. "Here, heal my damn arm if it makes you happy." He said and shoved his hands into his pockets as he quickly looked away with a large grimace on his face – one that had been strategically placed there to hide the look of discomfort in his eyes. "Just as long as you stop that annoying blubbering…it's pissin' me off."

Orihime looked up at him hesitantly. "You really mean it?" She asked as her hiccups slowly settled down and her breathing evened out. "You're not just saying that?"

His eyes suddenly fell to the large, imposing bruise on her arm.

"Just shut up and do it!" He scowled and quickly turned away again.

He heard a soft sniff from beside him followed by a long silence. After several more moments of the tense quiet, a warm glow slowly surrounded him, wrapping around his arm and filling it with warmth as it took away the dull throb of pain.

Inconspicuously, his eyes slid over to his side, watching her closely as she wiped at the last remaining tears that stained her cheeks. Grimmjow had never felt guilt before, even now it wasn't quite anything as deep as that. He'd throw his fraccion into a meat grinder in a heartbeat, not caring if they lived or died, if he knew he'd get something good out of it. Such things like remorse or camaraderie weren't in his nature and it certainly wasn't his responsibility to look out for them. Those bastards had followed him because they wanted power as much as he did. But still, when he looked at that woman, there was a hint of something in him, a niggling of this pestering thing that was almost rueful.

It was ridiculous. She should have hated him after something like that. Hell, she should have ratted his ass out to Ulquiorra in a heartbeat, where the pale Espada would quickly become the least of his problems in light of Aizen's wrath. It kind of irritated him that she hadn't, and even more so, because he didn't understand why.

"Look…" He began with a gruff sigh, entirely pissed off at himself for what he was about to do. "About that…"

"I know, Grimmjow-kun." She said soothingly, kind and tender, and his eyes shot back down to hers. And she smiled. "I know."

Grimmjow felt dread sink into ever bone and crevice of his body when something sputtered in his chest.

"Shit…" He cursed testily, quickly dragging his eyes away.

Suddenly, every ounce of weirdness disappeared from his mind as he heard her giggle. He had been surly enough about this situation and it only pissed him off even more that she found this funny.

"Cut it out, damn it." He demanded with a sneer and she only laughed more. "I said, cut it out!"

Her soft laughter bubbled out of the girl like beams of sunshine as a rosy, cheery blush bloomed over her cheeks at the look of discomfort on his face. Quickly, he reached down to the papers resting on her table, crumpling them up in his hand as he held them over her head.

"You want me to trash your stupid journal?" He threatened and she turned away, covering her mouth as the laughter grew and filled the room like a light. "Don't think I won't shred this shit to…" He paused as he glanced at the papers, frowning at the bizarre drawings that littered the pages in his hands. "What the fuck is this?"

Orihime glanced over her shoulder, still smiling. "Those are drawings me and Wonderweiss-san have made." She informed happily, pointing to each illustration as she explained them. "There's one of Las Noches and Kurosaki-kun and my brother…" She said and Grimmjow was awkwardly silent as he took in the ridiculously over exaggerated pose of his arch enemy, Kurosaki, standing on a cliff with his chest puffed out like a turkey. "There's even one of this really amazing character called Chappy that Kuchiki-san idolizes."

Lifting his other hand, Grimmjow sifted through the papers as his sights fell onto one drawing in particular buried in the folds of the disarrayed mess. "And this?" He asked with an unpleasant frown as the familiar face of the fourth Espada stared back at him. It was a fair likeness, a striking portrait that clearly spoke to the amount of time she had put into it, unembellished with the fantastical enhancements that she had placed on the boy.

"Hm?" She inquired as she stepped closer to see the picture he was holding. "Oh, that's Ulquiorra!" She said happily. "What do you think? Did I do a good job?" Her smile beamed with great pride.

"….I think it's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen." He deadpanned and then suddenly wadded it up and held it over his mouth as if he were going to swallow it, just to remove the revolting image from existence.

"Noo!" Orihime shrieked from beside him, pushing up on her toes as she leaned in, trying to rescue her precious work of art. "I worked so hard on it!" She protested.

The girl watched, truly mortified, as the image disappeared into his mouth, his lips closing around it with a large grin and a chuckle before swallowing.

"Tastes just as bad as it looks!" He jeered mockingly and laughed haughtily as she sagged in disbelief. "Really, princess, you shouldn't waste your time on repulsive shit like that."

"It wasn't repulsive!" She said with wide eyed enthusiasm, slightly defensive. Really, she didn't know why the man was so intent on bullying her.

"If you want to draw something good, then try drawing me." He taunted, fully expecting her to immediately take the bait. No doubt, she would be as easy to manipulate as she appeared. However, his arrogant smirk slipped into a glower of annoyance when he watched as she pursed her mouth into a tight frown to fight off a chuckle when she realized what he was trying to do. With a forgiving sigh, she turned to reply to his less than inconspicuous endeavors, only to be interrupted by an impatient voice that called out from her doorway eagerly.

"Dog…" Came the slow, but garbled announcement.

Both parties looked over and Orihime couldn't help but smile happily. "Wonderweiss-san," She said as she clapped her hands together proudly. "Very good!" She praised as her eyes lit up upon hearing the boy speak his first true word around her. "Yes, it is a dog." She intoned approvingly as she hurried over to him, showering him with affection.

Grimmjow frowned as she stepped away from him and began to focus her attention elsewhere. However, when he lowered his eyes to what the rotten little brat was holding out in his hands, he felt every hair on his body stand on edge.

"Were you able to catch him again?" Orihime questioned as she leaned in to examine the nauseating abomination that had succeeded in grabbing her interest. It had a small, horned mask covering its face and a large number tattooed onto its back. It was whining and kicking its paws like a wild beast and Grimmjow was half tempted to blast the ugly monster off the face of Hueco Mundo.

Dogs…

Grimmjow hated dogs...

"Dog!" Wonderweiss said again, holding it out to the girl while she smiled. It was wriggling and squirming to break free of young boy's grasp, clearly not wanting to be there. Grimmjow nearly smirked, hoping the filthy mutt was suffering beyond imagination.

"Perhaps, you should put him down, Wonderweiss-san." She said kindly and the boy tilted his head in confusion before quickly pulling the animal back to his body, afraid that she would take it from him. He cast her a suspicious glance and kept the dog close against his side where it began to whine in discomfort and frustration.

"Let the brat keep it," Grimmjow scoffed from behind them, keeping a broad distance between them. "Hopefully, he'll end up suffocating the damn thing." He chuckled at the thought. Orihime cast him a look over her shoulder and he scoffed again.

"Watch this, Wonderweiss-san," She said softly as she reached forward to the dog. The boy hesitated for a moment, but her tender patience seemed to easily win out as he eventually forsook all protests. "If you hold something too tightly," She explained carefully as she moved her hand towards the dog with slow, soothing motions, allowing it to catch her scent momentarily to show she meant no harm. "It will inevitably want to break away." She said gently while her hands wrapped around the canine's waist securely to lift it from Wonderweiss's grasp.

"But, if you set it free…" She trailed off knowingly and when Orihime set the dog on the floor, it looked from her to the boy before it promptly ran to the door. Wonderweiss made a noise of despair and quickly tried to chase after it, only to be stopped by Orihime's hand on his shoulder.

"Just watch, Wonderweiss-san," She said with a reassuring smile and the boy obediently observed, fascinated to see the dog had paused in the doorway and was now looking back to them with a single paw hesitantly held off the ground. It turned and swiftly disappeared behind the wall, yet after only seconds had passed, the small animal's head had peeked out from around the corner to curiously watch them. "See?" She said with an airy giggle when the canine slowly stepped forward. It sniffed the floor skeptically before sitting quietly by the threshold of the exit; close enough to sate its curiosity, but far enough away to feel safe.

"What did I tell you?" She practically chirped.

"Ahh…" The boy made a noise of intrigue as he looked up to her.

And then immediately turned to chase after the dog once more.

The animal's feet seemed to actually run in place for several seconds as it scrambled into action, dashing out of the room and away from the young boy.

"Wonderweiss-san!" Orihime shrieked with wide eyes. "No! You'll scare it!" She protested loudly as she raced after him without thought.

Grimmjow sighed in annoyance as he watched the pair disappear from the room. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he stepped forward to follow after them.

The stupid girl, she was liable to get herself into trouble out there by herself.

Even so, he really ought to just leave her be. If she ran into Nnoitra or some other asshole out there and wound up raped and slaughtered, it would be Ulquiorra's head that Aizen would have on a stake, not Grimmjow's. And that was something, without a doubt, that would amuse him greatly to see. To bear witness to such an event would certainly be a day to remember.

Still, to just sit idly by while someone dared to mar those perfect curves of hers with death…the world would surely be the poorer for it.

He watched as the girl paused half way down the hall to glance at him over her shoulder with a blank, wide eyed expression.

"Grimmjow-kun!" She suddenly called happily, smiling at him. "Hurry, you're going to fall behind!" She urged laughingly before turning back to run after the boy.

Grimmjow glanced away, reaching up to scratch the back of his head irritably.

Surely they'd be poorer for it…

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TBC

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**If you're worried I'm going to try and turn Orihime into a fighting champion – don't be, lol. And hopefully we'll get past her crying stage soon, too! Once again, thank you so much for all your feedback. You are all so special and kind, it's what keeps me writing! I only hope I can continue to please everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

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CHAPTER 8

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Ulquiorra sighed as the cold water ran down his back like needles dancing on his skin. Pressing his palm against the sterile white wall of the shower, his green eyes stared with disinterest as a deep crimson red began to swirl around the drain and discolor the water. Torture always had been a messy business, one that Aizen more often than not assigned to the pale Espada.

The Shinigami had not been hard to break. Soul Reapers, in general, never had been very resistant to such methods of extracting information and were usually easy to mentally overwhelm due to their comfortable existence within Soul Society. The closer knit the group, the easier it was to get what he needed out of them, especially when their groups contained women. To start on the females first, without fail, the men would predictably crack almost instantaneously. It was never wise to separate them from their peers, for it was always the solitary individual that took the longest, as they did not have to suffer through witnessing the torment of their comrades, and thus, would somehow find the strength to hold out just long enough to become a nuisance.

This was the second cluster of Shinigami that had breached Hueco Mundo since the girl had arrived and he suspected there would be many more to follow in the wake of those that had already failed. Even though they were in direct violation of the contract that Aizen had made with Soul Society, Ulquiorra suspected the ex-Shinigami Captain would not openly act on the matter any time soon. At least, not if he wanted to keep the opposing forces at bay long enough to allow the Hogyoku to heal itself properly. The small, rogue groups that were being sent into Las Noches prematurely were inconsequential compared to the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen that Aizen's army would have to face during the climax of the oncoming war. To bother with disbanding the contract over trivial, low ranking Shinigami that were acting out of order would be extremely unwise and impulsive.

No matter their brash choices, one thing was clear. They had all came here in search of the woman, and they had done so by order of their Captains.

Ulquiorra's green eyes closed against the sting of the frigid water as he contemplated on the matter.

It was difficult to believe so many members of the Shinigami forces had gone against the direct orders of their Commander for the sake of one woman. There was so much at stake for them and to think they were willing to risk the fate of their world all in hopes of retrieving her was difficult to rationalize. Was there something more to her powers, perhaps a deeper part of her abilities that even Aizen hadn't noticed that could be at the heart of their irrational actions? Could this be why they were so intent to get her back and keep her away from Las Noches at any price?

It was doubtful.

It was too far of a stretch to think someone as perceptive and clever as Aizen Sosuke would have missed something of such importance. Even Ulquiorra could not fully get behind this theory.

Perhaps, they had all come here simply because the girl actually held…sentimental value to them.

To think such distinguished members of the Shinigami forces would jeopardize the entire outcome of a war, all for the chance to rescue a single human female. A gambit of that magnitude would never be worth such a heavy price. Breaking treaties, disobeying orders and wagering the only advantage they had managed to gain in the progressing warfare, all for this woman, was beyond illogical.

If this was the true reasoning behind all these invading Shinigami that had recently been sent to Hueco Mundo, Ulquiorra failed to see the threat that such a thoughtless enemy posed. Aizen had warned his Espada many times over of the notable and impressive depths of the Gotei Thirteen's powers, yet the validity of these claims were already starting to waver in light of their senseless conduct in effort of retrieving the girl behind the back of their own superior. Still, Ulquiorra was not one to take Aizen Sosuke's words lightly. And neither was he one to underestimate an enemy, no matter how inadequate they may seem.

Simply because they were willing to risk their title and their position for a mortal girl, did not necessarily mean they were weak. It was clear by now that what they wanted was the woman.

_That woman… _

_There is no purpose in power if you have nothing to protect__, _she had said.

Rather, to Ulquiorra, it seemed there was no purpose in anything when it came to her beliefs. Things were so much easier to appreciate when everything was filled with void and nothingness. But she had to disrupt that and weigh the lot of things down with meanings and significance when it was not necessary or wanted. She tried desperately to find meaning in his actions when there was simply nothing to be found. She could not accept that he was as empty as he appeared. To do so would be a direct contradiction to her beliefs, the beliefs she had thrived on and erected the foundation of her life upon – to acknowledge him as anything but what he was would be a threat to the existence of the heart.

And so she would glance at him with smiles and blushes, trying to see something that wasn't there.

Yet, his wandering mind recalled the way she had looked at him that day in the arena. Cornered and terrified, she had tears in her eyes as she cried for his help…she wouldn't even touch him afterwards.

Ulquiorra's fingers slowly curled into a fist against the tiled panels of the shower wall.

Is she what all these people were willing to go to war over? Is she what her companions would risk everything for, their very lives, in order to retrieve? Was she the reason these Captains were ignoring the prime directive of their orders and disobeying imperative edicts set in place by their own Commander?

Was she what Ichigo Kurosaki would fight for?

This girl that preached about the heart as easily as she breathed air.

She had seemed so vulnerable and open…that awful look of betrayal that she had given him.

He could see it in her eyes, that expression of hurt, as if he had struck her.

She didn't understand.

She had been so dependent on the strength of her friends that the idea of defending herself had become totally foreign.

He wouldn't have bothered with that mess if Aizen hadn't desired it in the first place. He'd wanted to see the full span of her abilities and he'd wanted Ulquiorra to strengthen those aspects in her. Ulquiorra did not think it was possible to strengthen them more than what they already were without giving the woman some proper encouragement. However, it would seem that his idea of 'proper encouragement' did not sit well with the woman in the least. He had already grasped the fact that violence wasn't in her nature. He clearly wouldn't be capable of expanding the more formidable facets of her strength without placing her in a situation that would actively force those qualities out of her. Therefore, the best and quickest method to motivate her into fighting would be to place her in a life or death scenario.

Thrusting her into combat against insurmountable odds would draw out her instinctual desire to live and it would force her to fight back.

And it had worked…if only momentarily.

In the end, she had given up and refused to fight, and instead chose to remain trapped and helpless as she called out for Ichigo Kurosaki to save her. Her reliance on her companions was nothing short of a handicap. Her belief in the heart, in this preposterous notion that if she simply wished hard enough and cried hard enough and screamed hard enough, that her friends would magically just appear before her eyes to save her life was delusional – something that she should have already fully realized after that day in the arena. Yet, it didn't seem like she was grasping the facts of war anytime soon and instead chose to cling to her religiosity.

_What a waste…_

Lifting his head to glance out the washroom window, Ulquiorra took note of the position of the moon in the sky.

With another quiet sigh, he reached down and turned off the water. It was a waste of time dwelling on this. He had business that needed attending and he was already late for his meeting with Aizen…he really didn't want to deal with it any longer than was necessary…

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"You wished to see me, My Lord?" Ulquiorra asked as he entered the private study.

Aizen glanced up from the calligraphy papers he had been working on before lowering his eyes back to the script under his brush. "Ulquiorra," He welcomed. "I'm glad you were able to make it today."

"My apologies, Lord Aizen," He said and momentarily bowed his head in respect. "I was not able to make the meeting yesterday due to conflicting schedules."

"It is quite alright, Ulquiorra." Aizen smiled as he continued to stroke the ink over the paper masterfully. "I understand that you have been much detained elsewhere recently. I cannot fault you for fulfilling your duties."

"Yes," He replied quietly.

"You must forgive me," Aizen sighed as he gracefully dropped his pen to the desk and lifted the parchment to begin fanning it dry. "This calligraphy…it is an old habit I picked up as a Captain in Soul Society." He said just as the door opened once more to allow a servant pushing a trolley to enter. "You know what they say about old habits…they tend to die hard." He stated as he stood from his chair and approached the balcony where the Arrancar had left his tea. "Would you like some, Ulquiorra?"

"No, My Lord." He replied.

"Very well then," Aizen said as he poured himself a cup and took a seat in his chair that overlooked the main courtyard while Ulquiorra stood silently behind him. "How is our guest doing?" He inquired smoothly, as if discussing the weather.

"It would seem she has adjusted well." He responded vacantly as his green eyes stared out into the vast blue sky of the dome.

"Oh?" Aizen inquired as he took a languid sip of the steaming liquid in his cup. "How well?"

"Well enough," Ulquiorra replied evenly. "It appears as if several members of your army have become rather...attached to her." He said with a pause, as if to search for the correct words.

Aizen chuckled. "Is that so?" He smiled mildly as his eyes watched the many comings and goings of the Arrancar in the enclosed bailey. "I suppose it is only natural for them to be curious about her."

"I will be rid of them, if this is troublesome for you."

Aizen chuckled softly again as he placed the porcelain cup smoothly onto the small table beside his chair. "That will not be necessary, Ulquiorra." He said as he leisurely rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "I'm sure they keep her entertained well enough."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Have you attempted to further cultivate those extraordinary powers of hers yet?" He queried with reserved interest. "I find myself quite curious about the extent of her abilities."

"I have done with her as you instructed," Ulquiorra answered calmly.

"And?"

Ulquiorra was still for a moment longer before replying quietly. "If you do not mind me saying so, My Lord, but I believe her to be unfit for the rigors of war." He stood silently, his eyes on the back of the chair that his master sat in, waiting for a response.

"I see," Aizen said steadily.

"It is my observation that the woman is highly dependent, rather than dependable, My Lord." He explained.

"Do you think this could be changed?"

"I consider it…possible," He answered belatedly. "She is a strong woman and has shown signs of competence, but her ideals are holding her back. It is only in the extremist of circumstances and through the coercion of force that she has cooperated."

"And these…extreme circumstances," Aizen began quietly, his voice holding a critical edge of darkness. "Did you allow harm to come to her in those 'circumstances', Ulquiorra?" He questioned slowly.

Ulquiorra remained silent and watched as a well-manicured hand appeared out from behind the chair to delicately lift his cup from the table.

"No, My Lord."

"I'm glad to hear this," Aizen said smoothly, an alarming amount of danger dripping from his words. "I would hate to see anything untoward happen to my dear guest during her stay here at Las Noches. Orihime Inoue is more important to me than any of you could possibly imagine. Ulquiorra…you are to place her life above your own at all times…if anything would happen to befall this precious treasure of mine, someone will inevitably have to answer for this offense." He paused momentarily to let the words sink in. "Do you understand this, Ulquiorra?"

"…yes, My Lord."

"Good." Aizen said as he gracefully stood, leaving his cup resting on the arm of his chair. "Has any progress been made with the Shinigami that have invaded Hueco Mundo?" He inquired casually as he strode over to the edge of the terrace.

"Yes, each of their confessions were chiefly identical. They've given all the information necessary before their disposal."

"And who do we have to thank for sending this group to us?" He smiled slightly, glancing at the pale man from the corner of his eye.

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya."

A single chuckle hummed in the back of his throat. "How surprising," He said as he turned into the breeze of the desert. "Jushiro Ukitake had sent the last troupe. I truly expected he would have sent this one, as well."

"It seems to matter little which particular Captain has sent them. The groups do not consist of individual divisions and are largely unrelated. Rather, several members of the Gotei Thirteen have allowed their seated members to volunteer for missions to retrieve the woman."

"Is their Commander aware of their actions?" Aizen inquired quietly as his eyes narrowed upon hearing this news. If the Captain Commander were conscious of their efforts and had done nothing to stop them, it could do damage to the much needed treaty between their worlds. Aizen still needed time to stall them from jumping into the war too early. He needed that time to allow the Hogyoku to heal properly.

"They did not have this information." He replied. "However, it has become clear that the Shinigami are not acting alone. They have been successful in entering Las Noches only through the aid of an informant within our ranks. From the Shinigami's description, it would appear to be a Numeros."

"I see, that is a shame…" Aizen sighed briefly, as if the thought was vexing to him. "More Shinigami will undoubtedly follow in their steps soon enough. When is their next enterprise to obtain Orihime Inoue?"

"There was not an exact date, but it is expected to happen within the next two weeks." Ulquiorra answered stoically. "Shall I make arrangements to increase security around the grounds?"

"Yes, I suppose that would be wise." He agreed as he made his way back to his chair. "You are to find this informant and bring him to me as soon as he is detained." He ordered smoothly and resumed his position of staring out over the wide courtyard beneath them while sipping his tea elegantly. "Keep a close eye on the girl during the upcoming days, Ulquiorra. I do not want them near her. She does not know of their efforts, I would like to keep it that way for as long as possible. It would be troublesome if she discovered Soul Society wasn't as indifferent to her plight as they first appeared."

"Of course, My Lord," Ulquiorra said quietly. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, you may go." He said and Ulquiorra turned to leave. "On second thought," He began suddenly, as if he had just recalled a forgotten thought. "I have an opening in my schedule in two weeks…I would like to see her then."

"Yes, My Lord." Ulquiorra stated as he was once more dismissed. Turning from the room, Ulquiorra made his way down the hall and exited the main keep, mulling over the time it would take to make the appropriate preparations.

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Ichigo released yet another frustrated growl as he was forced to turn off the vacuum sweeper once again and lean down to pick up more of Lisa's dirty magazines. He was tired of wearing this stupid frilly apron and even more tired of cleaning up after their mess.

"I'm starting to get the feeling they're only training me just so they'll have someone to clean up after all their shit…" He muttered to himself irritably.

"What'd you say, idiot?" An obnoxious voice called out from overhead, leering down at him from the upper level.

Ichigo grit his teeth as he continued to stack the magazines tighter, patting them against the coffee table repeatedly until they were even.

"Don't tell me you're complaining! How lame, you should be grateful we're still putting up with your ass!" The small blonde pushed even further as she leaned over the railing to berate him persistently. "Geez, what do you expect, free services? What do we look like, a charity? And you still complain…so pathetic, you haven't even made any progress in your training!"

Ichigo nearly felt a tooth chip as he clenched his jaw even tighter and wrapped his fingers deeper into the papers of Lisa's dirty magazines, patting them even harder and rougher against the tabletop as he tried to ignore her constant nagging.

"Besides, shouldn't someone like you be in school? What the hell are you doing hanging around here playing housewife all the damn time?"

"I'm not your damned housewife!" Ichigo suddenly snapped, slamming the books violently onto the table as he turned to lift his head and glare at her. "And don't talk to me about progress, I've already gained a quarter of a second on my time!" He said as he pointed his finger at her accusingly.

"Did anybody tell you to stop cleaning, housewife?" She reprimanded loudly.

"Why…you…old…hag." He bit out slowly with barely restrained fury.

A dark look suddenly came over Hiyori's features. Moments later, her foot slammed down atop the railing that braced the upper level as she glared down the length of her nose at him dangerously, poised to pounce off the balcony should he repeat his mistake. "Say that again, idiot." She dared quietly with wide, almost wild eyes. "I could have killed you twenty times over already, do you really think you can take me?" She challenged.

Ichigo's fist clenched tightly as he withheld several vile curses in the back of his throat, some of which escaped in irate and angered growls. Quickly, he turned on his heel and jerked the vacuum sweeper back to his side before he began furiously running it over the rug repetitively, grumbling under his breath all the while.

Overhead, he heard Hiyori's insufferable laughter blaring out over the loud hum of the sweeper.

He'd only come here because he wanted to get stronger, it wasn't like he enjoyed her nagging all the time. With a resigned sigh, he tried to tone out the sound of her voice as he continued to clean throughout the room.

Being absent from school so frequently was bothersome, but this was something that would have to take precedence. If he couldn't expand the length of time that he was able to use his mask, he'd never be able to beat Grimmjow, let alone face any of the other members of the Espada army.

Ever since that incident with Tatsuki, Ichigo hadn't returned to his home or school and had only left a note on his desk so his family wouldn't worry. He'd purposefully cut ties with his friends and tried to keep as much distance between himself and his family during the span of his efforts to develop his power. He couldn't concentrate when he was constantly worrying whether or not he would happen to drag everyone down around him. Just one look and anyone could tell that something was troubling him, and because of this, it was like a ripple effect that spread outwards, pulling others in like a whirlpool.

He had enough to worry about with trying to get Inoue back. He didn't know if he could handle it if his family or friends got hurt as a consequence of this war, as well.

Inoue…

Just the thought of her was enough to motivate him to work harder. The fear that he wouldn't be able to protect her, that he would fail one of his friends, had always been troubling to him.

Ichigo never failed.

And he wasn't going to start now.

He'd purposefully begun to isolate himself. It was all he could do to convince himself that he didn't need the others beside him to accomplish this task. The more he told himself that this was something he could do without them, that he never needed anyone's help to begin with, the easier it was for him to push forward. He worked harder, he trained longer and he put everything of himself into his actions.

The sooner he got stronger, the sooner he'd have Inoue home where he could keep her safe. He owed that much to her, she was the one friend he had that had always been there for him. She wouldn't have left his side like the others did. She wouldn't have punched him for trying to keep her safe by withholding information like Tatsuki had. She wouldn't have given up without a fight.

Leaning down to pick up another dirty magazine, Ichigo froze when his eyes landed on a picture of a couple making love on one of the pages.

He felt that sick sensation deep in his gut again as he took in the woman's fiery red hair and the unusual resemblance the man held to the pale Espada. His fingers started to tremble, hovering over the glossy page as that horrible dream flashed through his mind against his will, causing bile to rise in his throat.

He had tried so hard to forget about that…it had taken weeks to block it out.

The thought of Inoue betraying her friends for _that man_ caused so much pain. It was a strange sense of disloyalty and abandonment that filled his mind. When all he had left to cling to was the thought of Inoue, waiting for him to rescue her, being the only companion that would never leave his side like the others had - only to imagine her leaving him in the worst possible way - it was inexplicably devastating.

Chad, Uryuu, Renji…

_Rukia_…

He'd be alone if Inoue left him, too.

_No._

Ichigo clenched his eyes shut as he tried to banish the images from his mind. He couldn't afford to get distracted now, not when he had been working so hard.

"If you're picturing yourself in that man's position…you should probably go to the bathroom for some privacy." A completely blasé voice said next to his ear.

Ichigo jerked his hand back from the magazine and turned his head away from the bothersome woman. "You should really stop getting so close to me like that." He droned flatly.

"Daydreaming about such things is only natural, you shouldn't be so embarrassed." Lisa intoned evenly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to start discussing the intimacies of sex so casually.

"I'm not embarrassed." Ichigo tensed his jaw again, trying to ignore her. "You shouldn't be leaving that crap lying around here so openly, anyways. It's distracting." He bit out.

"It's only distracting because you're already thinking about it." She said as she adjusted her glasses nonchalantly. "I can see it in your eyes. That look one has when fantasizing about two bodies entwined in the heat of passion."

Ichigo turned away from her suddenly as her words immediately brought the terrible image back to the forefront of his mind. It had been true, he had been thinking about those things. Only it wasn't a fantasy. "Just shut up." He ordered rather darkly, his voice not holding even an ounce of its usual casualness that was always present during their daily quarrels.

"It must be this particular position, right?" She inquired as she picked up the magazine. "It is rather lascivious, isn't it? But, I'm convinced it ensures the deepest penetration possible."

Ichigo swallowed hard against the burning in his throat. It didn't help one bit that the position of that couple had been identical to what he'd seen in his dream. She was only making it worse with all her lewd descriptions.

"It is perfectly healthy to be curious, there's nothing to be ashamed over." She informed as she angled the book sideways to get a better look. "See, if you turn it this way, she looks like she actually loves that guy."

"I told you to shut up, already." He said quietly as his shoulders began to tense.

"Ah, it must be this woman. She looks like that one girl that came here before, doesn't she?" She said in that straightforward, unabashed way of hers. "…this one's breasts seem much smaller, though."

"Just shut up, damn it!" He whirled around, lashing out.

"Ichigo!" A voice suddenly called out from overhead.

The strawberry blonde boy flinched before he paused. After several seconds of silence, his head lifted to the slender man that was making his way down the steps of the upper level.

"Get your shit and get out here." He ordered offhandedly, not bothering to spare the boy a single glance as he made his way out into the training grounds, very cavalier in his tone and stride.

Cursing under his breath, Ichigo yanked the apron from his waist and wadded it up to throw on the couch irritably. Not wasting time with delays, he quickly changed over and left his body behind in the safety of the warehouse. By the time he reached the underground facility, Shinji was already waiting for him, standing with his hands tucked partially into his pockets at his hip.

"So, did you finally decide to start training me now?" Ichigo bit out rudely. He'd been feeling rather impatient today. "I'm getting a little tired of playing everyone's cleaning maid." Ichigo frowned and the blonde man merely chuckled. Reaching up to adjust his hat, Shinji's brown eyes looked at the young man from under the brim of his cap as he grinned.

Before he'd realized it, the man was gone. Swiftly materializing beside him, Ichigo barely had time to block, let alone curse in surprise as Shinji aimed a broad swinging attack right for his chest. Dashing upwards to escape the cloud of dust, Ichigo looked down on the scene as the smoke began to clear.

"What the hell was that all about?" Ichigo yelled accusingly as he stared down at the blonde man. "You could have at least given me a warning, Shinji!"

"You're never going to make any progress if you don't get over whatever's causing all that inner conflict." He stated bluntly, as if he'd seen straight through him.

"Keh, I don't know what you're talking about." Ichigo scoffed derisively, looking away dismissively.

Leaning heavily on his Zanpakuto, Shinji gave the younger man a dubious look. "Really, now?" He said incredulously. "Then I suppose the fact that you've been here for nearly three weeks with absolutely no progress whatsoever happens to be a fluke?"

"Fluke!" Ichigo nearly snorted. "I've made plenty of progress! You've seen it yourself, I can hold out for nearly a second longer."

"Ah, young love. Even the purity of the heart cannot escape the wantonness of the flesh." A deep, dramatic voice intoned from below him.

Turning at the sound, Ichigo's face scrunched up into a frown upon seeing Love sitting leisurely against a large boulder beneath him, holding the erotic magazine that had been the source of all this mayhem to begin with.

"What the hell does young love have to do with this?" He intoned irritably.

"To be, or not to be. But love is to be…and of all these loves, young love is to be the strongest." He recited as he continued to read through the pages.

"That makes absolutely no sense, Love." Rose sighed from behind him, leaning out from around the other side of the massive rock. "Just because that magazine is full of nonsense smut like that doesn't mean it's related to his situation. It's clear the boy has a mental block."

"Damn it, I don't have a mental block!" Ichigo bellowed in dispute, stomping his foot on the air to get his point across. "There's nothing wrong with my brain!"

A girlish giggle was heard from yet another direction, where Mashiro stood perkily next to Kensei on one of the more taller cliffs of the underground base. "Jeez, they open the door and he walks right into it every time." Kensei sighed in amazement as he shook his head.

"Yes, but he makes it so easy!" Mashiro announced happily.

"I have read several articles on studies that indicate sexual frustration built up over time can lead to chronic impotence." Lisa inserted casually as she came to stand next to the pair, adjusting her glasses as Mashiro puckered her lips and giggled again.

"Impotence?" Ichigo balked. "I am not sexually frustrated and neither am I impotent!" He declared crossly, attempting to thwart their outlandish allegations. "Where the hell are you all coming from, anyways?" He said accusingly as he looked over to see Hachi quietly watching their fight, as well. "None of you seemed all that interested in watching me earlier when I was cleaning your rooms!"

"Just what is it exactly that's got your panties all in a bunch this time, Ichigo?" Shinji inquired from below him. "Is it that Grimmjow fellow? Because he kicked your ass again, is that it?"

"He didn't kick my ass, I had the upper hand for a long while until my mask shattered." He replied defensively.

"But that's your problem, it did shatter and you did get your ass kicked. It doesn't matter what happened during certain events of your fight, all that counts is the outcome. Still, there's no sense in letting one fight hold you back this much." Shinji stated evenly before sighing in exasperation. "He was making better progress in the months leading up to that scuffle…" He said to himself quietly, as if he found it to be a bother.

"It's not that!" He yelled testily.

With naught but a quick flash step, Shinji had seemingly disappeared from his spot again, only to reappear standing several feet in front of the boy, still leaning against his sword.

"Then what's the big deal?" Shinji drawled casually, gesticulating a shrug with his free hand. "Even I think you should have gotten farther than this by now."

Ichigo pursed his lips and looked away from the slender man, his fingers clenching tightly around his Zanpakuto. "…it's none of your business." He muttered quietly, trying not to think of how embarrassing it would be to have to share the fact that this 'mental block' was actually stemming from an intensely erotic dream he'd had about Inoue and an Arrancar.

He would never hear the end of it.

"I told you, already! He's completely worthless!" Hiyori's loud voice erupted from beneath them. "A lemming would be more trainable than that idiot!"

Ichigo growled under his breath as he cast the short spitfire a dirty look.

"Ichigo," Shinji's suddenly serious voice interjected, preventing the boy from broadcasting any further rebuttals and bickering. "I want you to try something now."

The boy's hard eyes glared at the blonde man for a moment longer, before sighing and giving in.

"Close your eyes." Shinji ordered and Ichigo gave him a skeptical look before complying. "I want you to imagine me as the embodiment of your frustration."

Ichigo's eyes shot back open upon hearing the command, stunned that Shinji would employ such a strange technique.

"Just do it," He demanded sternly and after several more averse protests, Ichigo reluctantly obeyed. "Now, take your time…picture me as that person. Believe that I'm him. Imagine the feeling of his reiatsu…the sound of his voice…the look in his eyes." Shinji instructed slowly, venturing a guess in his words that an individual, most likely Grimmjow, was at the heart of all this drama, rather than any notions of sexual frustration or young love such as his comrades had suggested.

Ichigo took a moment to steady his breathing, calming his turbulent mind as he followed the man's words. He pushed back any awkwardness that he was sure to feel in the proceeding occurrences and tried even harder to toss aside all the aggravation he'd accumulated over the past several days.

As he began to relax, his inner thoughts brought forth a picture of the pale Espada that had proven the innermost source of his anxiety. He could hear Shinji's voice ahead of him, but he had begun to lose track of what the man was saying. Shinji continued speaking, but Ichigo was gradually losing his ability to understand the words, until the point where his voice had faded completely.

Slowly, he allowed his eyes to slip open. It was startlingly how quick the man's blonde hair began to melt into black and his narrow brown eyes widened into that sickening shade of green, just staring at him. Ichigo's chest constricted when the healthy peach of his skin seemed to dissolve into a pallid shade of white, anemic and unsightly.

"Are you afraid of me…Ichigo Kurosaki?" The pale man's noxious voice called quietly and Ichigo suddenly gasped, taking a hasty step back.

"_What the fuck is this?!_" He demanded coarsely. He felt his heart racing in his chest as his eyes blinked several times in disbelief, looking for the blonde haired man that had been there only moments prior. When the image failed to disperse, a dizzying wave of instincts flew to the forefront of his mind, telling him not to fight this man – to avoid him at any and all cost.

The apparition suddenly disappeared, only to turn up directly beside him in an instant.

Ichigo cursed and swiftly turned away to dodge in the opposite direction, putting a wide birth between them while he tried to settle his mind.

The Espada moved like Shinji…but he looked like-

His thought was abruptly cut short when he felt a painful blow against his back, the man's foot landing a solid kick to the left of his spine that sent him careening into the dirt.

"You will never be able to save her…because you are afraid of me." His cold voice sounded from beside him and Ichigo pushed himself away, cursing the man's speed.

_I'm not afraid of that bastard. _He told himself viciously, trying to ignore that repugnant urge to vomit every time he thought about that man and Inoue. _He just gets under my skin._

Suddenly, every nerve in his body bristled at the thought of him touching her, taking her from him, leaving him alone and betraying him. He only had one true friend left in this world and that man was going to take her from him. Hatred seethed out from his inner core as the image of the pale Espada began blur until only his green eyes stood out like a specter. Flashes of the dream crept into the corners of his vision, leaking out from the depths of his mind. Ichigo gripped his sword tight, trying to control the uncomfortable sensation of feeling himself begin to hyperventilate.

"_Stop it…_" He urged quietly, dropping his head so he wouldn't have to look at the Arrancar a moment longer.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" The man said softly, that dreadful way he always said his name that lacked any inflection and life, and Ichigo clenched his jaw hard against the scenes playing over in his mind. His pale hands were touching her, opening her, penetrating her…digging into her chest, always trying to get at her heart and turn it against him. And she let him.

"_Stop it._" He bit out again, his breaths coming in deeper and faster as he held back a gag.

"…Ichigo Kurosaki…are you afraid of me?"

He sensed the enemy advance, but before he could get within reach of him, Ichigo had already moved, charging at him forcefully. His mouth was set in a hard, tight line as his fingers wrapped around his pale wrist, successfully stopping the attack with little effort. His reiatsu surged dangerously before leveling his merciless gaze into that of the Espada's empty green one. His face was callous and unforgiving as he slashed his sword straight across the other man's chest, leaving behind a deep and bloody gouge in its wake.

Shock registered across the man's face, clearly not expecting the unforeseen attack.

Ichigo spared him not a moment of mercy or hesitation. Refusing to release his hold on his slender wrist, his fingers dug in deeper before slamming the male against the nearest boulder. Reason seemed to fail him in every way possible as he lifted his arm, aiming his blade straight for his heart as nothing but hatred and contempt surged through his veins.

He didn't deserve to live.

He didn't deserve to breathe.

The only thing he deserved was pain.

Torturous and brutal pain.

Without hesitation, his Zanpakuto rushed forward and missed just by several small lengths as the man was fast enough to dodge in time, even as Ichigo's sword delved deep into his side.

"Ichigo!" Several voices of their comrades called in shock and disbelief.

Quickly, the man countered with his sword, pushing him back enough to remove himself from the death trap against the wall. He rushed past the boy, only to be stunned into utter speechlessness when his hand shot out to stop him, wrapping around his upper arm before slamming him back into the boulder, refusing to let him escape.

His sword was moving towards him again and the man before him cursed.

"Ichigo!" He said sternly before hastily donning his hollow mask to dodge the attack. When the blade of his Zanpakuto slashed across nothing but dirt and rock, Shinji reappeared behind him to lock his arm around the young man's neck. "Snap out of it, idiot." He said with a touch of annoyance in his voice, knocking his fist upside the boy's head several times.

He was silent for a stretch, remaining eerily quiet and calm. Shinji couldn't even feel the movements of his breathing as he stood alarmingly still. It was only seconds later that he finally looked up to the older blonde with a scowl. "Cut it out, already would you?" He griped irritably. "My back hurts enough as it is after that kick you gave me earlier."

"Your back?" Shinji scoffed dryly before adding a wry sigh. "Look what you did to my shirt, you little punk. You better buy me a new one, this was one of my favorites."

"Whatever," Ichigo said as he untangled himself from the taller man's arm and turned away to stalk off. "If I recall correctly, you were the one asking for it." He said rather darkly as he walked away stiffly, not uttering another word.

Shinji's brows furrowed as he recalled the look he'd seen in Ichigo's eyes. He'd never seen such a cold and resentful look on the boy's face, let alone the sudden and abrupt surge of power he'd displayed. He hadn't even pulled out his hollow mask.

'_Are you afraid of me…Ichigo Kurosaki?_'

Shinji had merely used those words as a metaphorical ploy to antagonize him. Yet, for a brief instance, he could have sworn he actually saw…fear in the boy's eyes.

"Geez, what a hormonal brat." He sighed as he continued to watch him saunter off, trying to ignore the stinging pain in his chest and side that the boy had inflicted.

He'd never known Ichigo to be a vengeful person, despite how moody and brooding he could be at times. Shinji had attributed most of his sulking to that whole Grimmjow incident, especially after it had nearly cost him not only his life, but Rukia's as well, worsened by the troubling fact that Orihime Inoue had been abducted.

But now he wasn't so sure.

Whatever it was, he hoped the boy had gotten it all out of his system. If so, perhaps he could finally concentrate on his training and start showing some real progress.

.

.

.

The weather in Hueco Mundo had failed to abate during the past several weeks. Instead, it had only seemed to worsen and grow more furious over time. The storms had gone from mild and relatively unpleasant, to raging and violent. The sands were swept up into uncontrollable dust storms and on occasion lighting would crack through the air after hours of friction had built up between the immeasurable amounts of sand grains.

As Ulquiorra walked down the hall and stopped by the girl's room, it was clear that the gale force winds were not showing signs of subsiding. It would seem even the shelter of the towers were not always enough to completely drown out the sound of the howling tempest.

Entering into the woman's room had become routine for him lately and even though he was usually civil enough to knock on her door, he knew she would already be sleeping at this late hour. During the scheduled rounds he made through the tower and her room, both daily and nightly, Ulquiorra had learned easily enough just how deep of a sleeper she truly was. Even though his steps were quiet and light, the presence of his reiatsu, no matter how suppressed, should have been enough to awaken anyone who held the slightest hint of spiritual awareness. The girl was either extremely naive or extremely trusting to continuously fail to even stir at his presence. She was far too complacent.

As he approached her bed, a small, furry mass unfurled itself from the folds of her covers. Lifting a stone white face, the masked dog that usually followed Yammy around dutifully stared him down with raised shackles before growling low and quiet. From the foot of the mattress, it watched him with unwavering suspicion as he paused by the bedside. His green eyes fell on the snarling animal before slowly sliding over to the woman, barely covered by her sheets.

The had moon cast cold and silent shadows over the slopes of her curves that was only disturbed by the occasional cloud of impenetrable dust that blew outside her room. The outline of the bars from her window wrapped her body in cords of blackness, curling around her hips and chest and face as a stray lock of hair twisted around her pale neck like a noose. With one leg resting outside the cocoon of her blankets, her hair had been unwound from the usual braid she kept it in at night while her white gossamer sleeping tank had revealed the color of her breasts nearly to the point of nudity.

It was a sight he was becoming far too accustomed to seeing.

Reaching down with a pale hand, his fingers wrapped around her upper arm and pulled her forward until she was sitting upright in a manner that was unsympathetic and rather inconsiderate to her waking moments. She had complained on more than one occasion about his less than delicate approach to waking her in the mornings. However, he was not going to stand by and call her gently until she saw fit to rouse herself into getting out of bed. Although the girl was usually capable of getting herself up in time, his intervention had still been needed on the occasion she overslept.

When she began to slump back limply, he tightened his hold and lifted her arm higher. The small dog that watched him from the end of her bed jumped to its feet with a bark and a growl.

"Woman, get up." He said quietly, completely ignoring the animal.

Taking a deep inhalation of air, the girl made a few indistinguishable sounds before she began to slouch back into the bed.

"Woman," He said again, pulling her upright once more with a small jerk of her arm. With his persistence paying off, he watched as her brown eyes slowly cracked open before she lifted her head to him. She stared dazedly at his statuesque face as if she were looking upon a puzzle, leaning heavily against his hand for support in her drowsy state.

Her eyes blinked several times against the dulcet glow of the moon before recognition and awareness steadily crept into her features. "Ulquiorra?" She whispered quietly. Then, as if the action was utterly uncontrollable, a soft yawn escaped her delicate lips as a hand came up to cover her mouth. Lifting her arms, her elbows curled around her head as her back arched and stretched, forcing her breasts to strain and tighten against the sheer material of her night tank. Seemingly prompted by the stimulation, her nipples began to harden and press against the translucent fabric.

When she shivered and released a sound of utter delight from the back of her throat, Ulquiorra turned away from the girl to head for her couch. "Get dressed," He ordered quietly, replacing his hand back into his pocket. "You have a meeting with Lord Aizen." He said as closed his eyes and leaned back into the cushions of the settee to wait for her.

"This late?" She asked a little fuzzily as she fought back another yawn.

"Yes," He replied quietly. "You should be grateful that he has found time in his schedule for you at all. Now get dressed, otherwise you will be late."

When several moments passed without a word from her or the ruffling of fabric, he lifted his head slightly as his lashes slid open to watch her from the corner of his eye.

She was staring at him.

And her cheeks blushed.

Blinking delicately, her head tilted subtly before finally looking away and lowering her eyes. Her hands moved to push the heavy sheets from her waist as her legs slid over the edge of her bed. Ulquiorra's hard eyes followed her figure closely as she navigated around the large bed with a smooth effortlessness. His stare never left her form before it casually dropped to her round, shapely backside partially exposed by the drawers of her white underwear – ones that seemed to hang low enough on her hips to reveal the dainty bones protruding there.

It wasn't hard to appreciate the loveliness of her beauty. The graceful, unforced sway of her hips and the naturally steep slope of her curves were abruptly cut off from view as the bathroom door shut behind her. Ulquiorra stared at the empty space for a moment longer before a high pitched bark sounded at his feet, forcing his eyes away from the scene.

The small animal continued to growl at him before it curtly turned away and hurried out of the room. Ignoring the dog and its harmless actions, Ulquiorra closed his eyes and relaxed further back into the couch.

That woman always had attracted the strangest pests…

.

.

.

Over the past several weeks, Orihime was beginning to lose track of day and night here. Although she had become educated on the phases of the moon well enough to know what time of day it was, it had still been difficult adjusting to the constant darkness of the night with no stars to speak of. Even weirder still, for her to be cloaked in the darkness of Hueco Mundo one instant, only to be illuminated by the false sun of Las Noches' inner dome the next, made the shift even harder. Such were the drastic transitions that she would see on a daily basis to the point it had driven her internal clock haywire.

Although, even now as Ulquiorra led her into the fortress, it was dark on both sides with no light to speak of save for the artificial stars over the dome. The storm that was raging outside in the unsheltered desert was nowhere to be seen here inside the safety of the citadel. Still, the contrasting calmness of the innards of the palace in comparison to the storm outside had taken a back seat as she pondered over the staggering idea that the moon and all these stars were simply not real. Even the sun that would rise in the mornings inside this fortress was counterfeit.

"I wonder how the ceiling is able to alternate from day to night." She wondered aloud to her warden as she lifted her head to examine the forged heavens, her finger pressed curiously to her bottom lip. "It seems almost impossible. Though, it is nice to see some stars for a change." She said with a small smile. Her eyes were alight with the twinkling of the tiny specks of light in the sky, clearly pleased to see them.

"I am sure it isn't as complicated as you make it sound." Ulquiorra replied offhandedly, keeping his responses vague enough to dodge further inquiries, yet attentive enough to appease her curiosity, no matter how novel it may be.

"What do you think about the stars, Ulquiorra?" He heard her ask from behind him after she had taken in a deep and invigorating breath of the fresh night air. The chill of the night was cool and crisp, but it seemed to revive her from the haziness of her sleep, nonetheless.

"My opinion on such matters is irrelevant." He replied, evidently hinting that he was disinclined to continue this nonsensical line of conversation.

"Of course, it's relevant!" She protested cheerily and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I love the stars and I love sharing my thoughts with my friends." Her voice sounded warm against the frost of the night.

"Then you will not be disappointed when I fail to contribute to your banter, as we are neither friends nor are we sharing personal thoughts."

"Oh." She began quietly with a slight touch of bereavement in her voice, conveying that hint of deflation in her upbeat manner that always seemed to fade every time he blocked her attempts at being sociable. "Yes…I suppose you're right." She said and as time went by undisturbed, he assumed she had dropped it. It was after several beats of silence later before she hesitantly stated, "…I would still like to try…"

Ulquiorra did not respond to her efforts, he knew not to feed into her fantasies. To do so would only encourage her to continue down a path that would produce no fruit for her labors.

He heard her sigh softly behind him. Turning his head slightly, he studied her briefly from the corner of his eye, observing her over his shoulder.

She was gripping her forearm behind her back and staring off into the distant sands. As if it were reaching for her, the cool breeze would pick up and play with her hair and cape, sending them fluttering about her face and body. Sensing his stare, her dark eyes shifted to him. He regarded her a moment longer before she suddenly smiled softly, timid and unsure.

Pulling his eyes away, Ulquiorra continued to lead them down the path they'd set out for nearly half an hour ago.

"Why does he wish to see me so late at night?" She asked and Ulquiorra found himself to be remarkably grateful that she'd finally shifted the subject of her questions away from stars and friendship.

"Las Noches functions throughout both the day and night and is frequently at its fullest capacity during the latter hours." He answered simply. "There are no reprieves in a castle that was built for the sole purpose of war. Even though you spend these hours asleep, Las Noches' faculties remain operating without end."

"So much work…" She muttered to herself.

"Did you believe war would not require effort?" He said quietly and even Orihime did not miss the tinges of belittlement and ridicule in his voice.

"That's not what I meant." She said a little hurriedly, wanting to fix the false impression he'd clearly gotten from her. "It's just…there's so much devotion that goes into it - on both sides, really. Even I can't imagine the effort it must take to sustain an entire army. It upsets me to see so many people so passionate about something as horrific as war when all of that energy could be spent on things with much more positive outcomes…" She sighed, finding own words to be a moot point that would never matter. "I suppose it just saddens me whenever I think of the loss of life it will bring, it's such a waste."

"Do you consider fighting for one's beliefs to be wasteful and without purpose?" He inquired evenly, his voice lacking the censorious edge from before.

"No, I…I don't think I've ever looked at it that way before." She replied pensively, her eyes watching the stern plains of his back. So frequently did they not see eye to eye that she was surprised to find something they actually agreed upon. "I suppose it isn't wasteful…" She said softly and suddenly found herself very curious about his role in all of this. "What about you, Ulquiorra? What are you fighting for?"

He was silent as they approached a pair of barred gates positioned between two large pillars. She watched as he placed a hand on one of the gates before he pushed it open easily. Several low creaks and groans filled the air as she stopped beside him and looked up with inquisitive and bright eyes, almost intruding in his space.

"Ulquiorra?" She called tentatively, tilting her head to see his face as she sought an answer.

"Do not concern yourself with such things," He said quietly before replacing his hand in his pocket. "Lord Aizen is waiting for you, go." He stated, closing his eyes to her to block any further inquiries.

"You're not going to leave me…are you?" She asked.

Ulquiorra's eyes nearly snapped back open.

She stood silently, unmoved as she continued to stare up at him with a serious, yet concerned expression on her round face. She was looking to reassure herself that he wouldn't abandon her to unfortunate circumstances again like he had done to her in the arena. Her cheeks were brightly flushed from the chill in the air and her full lips were parted faintly as her lashes cast long shadows over her dark eyes, never moving or blinking against his silence or his stare.

"…no."

Gradually, her eyes began to soften as a small, shy smile spread across her lips before she turned into the entrance.

When she stepped forward, Orihime nearly jolted at the pliable and crunchy sensation of grass beneath her feet. Looking around the wide space, her vocal cords stammered against the view that greeted her. There were several trees and flower bushes scattered around the expanse of the covered sanctuary. A large, white fountain sat at the center of it all, where rows and rows of maze like hedges surrounded the grounds.

There was so much green…so much life. She had almost forgotten how invigorating the lushness of plants and trees smelt like and felt to touch. Hurrying forward, she reached out to stroke a delicate looking Chrysanthemum, completely dazzled. The petals were dewy and soft and the sheer abundance of them left her stunned. She had half expected them to be plastic.

"It's a garden!" She announced in astonishment as she spun on her heel, looking for her warden.

She felt a jolt of dejection when she turned to find him gone. Clutching her hand to her heart, the despondency in her eyes seemed to fade as she tried to remind herself that he said he wouldn't leave her, certainly he was close by, wasn't he? Perhaps, if she spread out her senses to search for him-?

"Are you looking for someone…Orihime?" The unmistakable lull of Aizen Sosuke's sophisticated voice called from behind her.

Her brown eyes glanced at the man from over her shoulder warily. "No," She began hesitantly as she lowered her gaze to the grass at her feet. "No…I'm not."

"Oh?" He said smoothly as he approached her. "Then, please, allow me." He implored mildly as he offered her his arm.

Naturally cautious of the man, she measured him up first before carefully reaching out to take his arm, allowing him to tuck it comfortably in his elbow.

"What do you think of my garden?" He inquired of her.

"I think it's very lovely," She answered honestly. "It's truly beautiful. Although, I do not quite understand how-?" She trailed off, unsure how to put her question into words.

"You're wondering how the presence of life is possible in a world where it is not supposed to exist." He smiled at her bewilderment. "I've already told you, it only through the benefit of the Hogyoku that all of this," He said and gestured around him. "…is possible." Aizen's gaze followed the outline of garden appreciatively and even Orihime could see it was the power of the Hogyoku he was admiring, not the beauty of the garden. "Amazing, isn't it?" His smile was urbane and refined as she nodded in response, having no choice but to agree with him.

Although she did not approve of this man and his war, even Orihime was overwhelmed by the size of everything in this place. Las Noches was dizzying in its magnitude and could render anyone speechless in the first moment one laid eyes upon it. Each hall, each passage, room and corridor was devastating in its enormity and length, let alone the more specific features such as the throne room, or this garden.

"I do hope that you have come to enjoy your stay in Las Noches, Orihime." He stated as he navigated them through the endless labyrinth of hedges as if he knew their secrets off the back of his hand. "Your happiness is mine."

Orihime felt a knot forming in her throat.

"My home is where I am happiest." She said quietly, her voice holding no venom, only sadness.

"Well, then," He began when they stopped before the large, animated fountain at the heart of the garden. "It is a good thing that you are home." His dark smile and equally dangerous eyes bore into her as he lifted her chin with his knuckle, broadening his smirk when he saw her chin quiver and her lips purse in effort to fight back her words of hostility.

The black shadows of night only served to make his cordial smile seem so much more frightening.

"Yes," She finally said on a hushed, yet reluctant whisper, lowering her eyes from his. She didn't need to feel his reiatsu in order to know what would happen should she disagree. "You're right." She ceded, yet even though her words held the distinct taste of defeat, she couldn't help the small surges of defiance that would spark in her eyes.

She heard him chuckle softly as she retracted her arm from his.

"I trust Ulquiorra has continued to treat you kindly?" He inquired and stepped forward to examine the fountain casually.

"Yes,"

"He has not harmed you in any way?"

"Oh, no, of course not," She said hastily. "Ulquiorra would never do something like that!"

Aizen chuckled again before smiling at her from the corner of his eye. "You enjoy his company?"

Orihime felt a distinct blush creep up her cheeks and refused to answer such a silly question.

"He seems to believe you are unfit to participate in this war." Aizen said, and Orihime felt something in her chest sink. She had thought he believed her to be valuable? Had he not meant it? Had it just been another ploy to keep her pacified? "Do not take it to heart, my dear." Aizen assured her upon seeing the distraught expression she had completely failed to mask. "Ulquiorra is not a benevolent creature. However, he does seem to think you have quite a bit of potential."

"Really?" She asked curiously, unexpectedly foregoing all pretenses that had been hanging in the air before. She was all the more mortified when she heard him chuckle yet again, apparently finding her unchecked interest highly amusing. Quickly shrugging it off, Orihime nonchalantly made her way to the ledge of the fountain, smoothly taking a seat there as she played with the water as if the world was nothing but a trifling matter. "It doesn't really matter to me one way or the other." She said with an easy shrug, covering her tracks.

Orihime's brows suddenly furrowed in consideration.

Covering her tracks?

Looking at her reflection, she frowned at herself before splashing the water away in annoyance. She sounded so stupid. This was ridiculous. She didn't care what Ulquiorra or any of them thought of her, this wasn't her home. These weren't her friends.

But, Wonderweiss and Grimmjow and even…

"Is something troubling you, my dear?" He smirked knowingly, seeing the conflict in her eyes.

"No…I…" She was having a hard time sorting through all the thoughts. She was so confused.

Unexpectedly, a deafening noise thundered out from the far end of the garden.

From across the lawn, a loud and rumbling explosion broke through the silence of the night. The blast illuminated the trees and shrubbery around it as, to her horror, several more followed the blast immediately thereafter. One by one, they detonated down a path that aligned directly with them.

The explosions seemed to move faster than she could make sense of, sending rubble and dirt into the air as they shook the very ground under her feet. It was chaotic and left no time for her to ponder over what was happening around her.

"Look out!" She cried, rushing forward as that deep ingrained sense of protection took over her body, bursting out from the very core of her being as panic completely overrode fear. Orihime placed herself before Aizen, directly between him and the blasts, before lifting her hands and quickly spreading her arms wide as her shield immediately followed thereafter.

The serious, determined look on her face began to shift into one of deep concentration as her eyes clenched shut to brace against the enormous shock wave of the accumulation of blasts. When she felt her shield begin to crack, her feet dug into the ground as she put more force into her incantation, sheltering them in the safety of the golden glow of her Santen Kesshun until it the danger had passed.

Time seemed to stand still as the dust slowly faded from the air, taking with it the chaotic abruptness of the unprovoked and mysterious attack that left behind an empty and gaping silence.

Calling off her shield, Orihime stood unmoving as she stared in confusion at the damage that had been done to the once beautiful garden, wondering what exactly had just happened.

And then,

"Thank you, my dear," She heard from behind her.

Orihime felt her breath catch in her throat as a cold chill went down her spine. Very slowly, it began to dawn on her what she had just done.

As if she did not want to see the truth of her actions, she reluctantly and gradually turned with wide and disbelieving eyes as she set her sights on the smiling face of Aizen Sosuke – the man she had just protected with her life.

"I…I didn't…"

"I don't know what I would have done without you," He said with a smooth and dark delight. She stood frozen in place as she felt him elegantly lift her hand in his, bringing it close to his lips as a strange sense of disgust sank into the pit of her stomach.

"I…didn't…" Her entire world seemed to narrow in the blink of an eye. Where nothing seemed to make any sense and everything was backwards. Where she felt at home in her enemy's war castle. Where she made friends with his army. Where she felt her heart stutter for a man that hadn't been Kurosaki-kun.

Where she had protected the most dangerous man in the world's life with her own.

"_I didn't_." She repeated desperately and suddenly she felt very dizzy and very faint.

"Truly…you have my gratitude."

His terrifyingly sharp, gleaming eyes seemed to mock her and approve of her all at once.

Orihime ripped her hand from the gentle grip of his fingers before it could touch his lips. She ran as fast as she could away from that man. The endless warren of hedges and trees seemed to mean nothing as she pushed through all of it and dove around their sharp, thorny edges that altered the beauty of the garden into something wicked and painful as they pricked at her skin and snagged on her clothes. There were so many doors and halls and lights in the darkness of the night that she didn't recognize, but didn't care.

All she wanted was to leave this place.

This awful, terrible place…

"Follow her." Aizen's empty voice ordered Ulquiorra as he calmly stepped out from behind the large wall of shrubbery he had been trailing them from, always keeping a respectable distance. "Make sure that threat on her life isn't followed through." He said as he turned from the scene with a blank expression. "Find out who's attempting to kill her and dispose of them immediately." He stated, clearly not pleased that an attempt had been made on her life, and in his presence, no less.

Without a word, Ulquiorra stepped forward, heading in the direction their captive had disappeared in – silently doing as his master had bid.

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Orihime couldn't seem to catch her breath. Every turn she made only led her down more and more empty halls. Never escaping, never changing. Las Noches was a never ending mental trap. It worked itself into her mind, overwhelming her with its size before forcing her to acknowledge and respect it. It was desolate and haunting, yet beautiful and magnificent. It made her fear it, then feel comforted by it. It was an oasis in the desert, and it was slowly becoming her unknowing tomb. The people, the places – it was trying to change her.

All she could picture was the way she had thrust herself into that explosion to protect that man.

She hadn't meant to, not in the way one protected their comrade or master. It had been instinctual. To care and protect those around her, no matter whom they may be, had always been embedded into every cell of her body. But when he'd looked at her like that, pleased beyond recognition that she had actually shown something akin to loyalty, Orihime couldn't take it.

Aizen Sosuke didn't need her protection. He didn't need anyone's protection. And certainly, she didn't want to give him protection, either. He was the most dangerous man on earth. She knew it was just her inbuilt nature acting on impulse. But knowing this did not take away the sense of betrayal inside her.

She wanted to see her friends. She wanted to talk to Tatsuki-chan so she could tell her everything would be alright. She wanted to look upon the picture of her brother nestled in his shrine on her shelf at home and ask him for guidance. She wanted Ishida-kun and Sado-kun by her side so she could feel safe, tucked securely between them, when they made her laugh. She wanted Kuchiki-san and Abarai-san to tell her to be strong.

She needed to see Kurosaki-kun's face so he could make her heart skip the way it was supposed to…not when she looked into mysterious green eyes.

Orihime nearly collapsed against a pillar hidden in a far off, dark corner of Las Noches. She slid to her knees and pressed her shoulder into the cold marble for support. Looking around her, Orihime's eyes slowly widened when she realized she had absolutely no idea where she was. She couldn't have been inside the dome, for there was a storm brewing outside the long, open balcony on the other side of the hall she was in.

The wind howled wildly and whisked riotous amounts of sand across the exposed terrace. Her dark eyes bolted from one end of the hall to the other, suddenly feeling very alone and very frightened.

"Ulquiorra?" She whispered quietly upon hearing something that she couldn't quite distinguish. A tightness worked itself through her eyes and she fought back tears when she had trouble seeing through the darkness. Her fingers curled into the fabric of her skirts as she bit her lip nervously.

"Wow, Grimmjow said you cried a lot," A young, feminine voice intoned. "But I really didn't believe him until now."

Orihime whipped her head around in a panic, stopping short at the unusual sight of a bright pink eye peering back at her intently.

A small, petite girl with pastel green hair sat in the semi-awkward position of reverse straddling the lap of a handsome, sleeping male. They sat on the ledge of a broad window that was open to the view of the desert, much like the one in her own room, but so much larger. With his back resting against the far wall and his arms bracing the back of his head, the unfamiliar man seemed altogether impervious to his surroundings and the young girl in his lap as she continued to stare at Orihime inquisitively.

So stunned was she that she seemed to forget herself for a moment before finally finding it in her senses to feel consternated. "I…I'm not crying!" She protested with a sniffle.

The small girl perked up and tilted her head curiously before sniffing the air.

"Sure smells like you were crying." She said before chuckling to herself, showing off a few sharp canines. "What do you know, Grimmjow was actually right about something."

"You…know Grimmjow-kun?" Orihime asked hesitantly and felt some degree of relief in that maybe she wasn't so alone here, after all.

"Of course I do," The girl said, giving her a reproachful look before abruptly raising her fist and slamming it down directly between her thighs, hitting the sleeping man squarely in the testicles. "Starrk! Wake up!" She demanded.

Immediately, the once peaceful looking male doubled over. His face quickly drained of all color as he leaned forward and dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, reaching down to cradle his wounded parts. Even Orihime cringed in discomfort as he seemed to shiver in agony for several seconds.

"Goddammit, Lilynette." He wheezed. "How many times do I have to tell you not to wake me up like that?" He groaned out painfully.

"Don't complain to me about that crap now, you shouldn't have been sleeping in the first place." Lilynette scoffed, rolling her head back to glare at the man beneath her. "There's a strange girl here in the tower."

"So what," He grumbled out, not bothering to lift his head. "What do you what me to do about it?"

"Idiot!" She seethed and her fist lifted again with the intentions of landing another devastating blow.

Instantly, he reached up and locked his hand around her small wrist, stopping her.

"Don't even think about it, you little brat." He said against her shoulder, his voice holding a hint of darkness while his sharp eyes glared out from behind her unusual mask. "Huh?" He intoned quietly when those grey eyes shifted to Orihime.

She lifted her hand to her chest in a manner that suggested the act was habitual and involuntary as she shrank back in uncertainty.

"Isn't that Ulquiorra's mistress?"

Orihime's face turned dead white as she jerked her head away, hanging it low in mortified embarrassment as a droll look of disbelief settled over her slumped figure.

He was completely uncouth!

"I don't think so," Lilynette scratched her chin in contemplation, reflecting on the girl before her until her young face abruptly scrunched up in annoyance. "Shouldn't you already know this, Starrk?" She said accusingly to her companion.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He sighed and relaxed back against the frame of the ledge. "All I know is what I hear around Las Noches."

"She's the girl Lord Aizen brought in from the living world, you should have been paying better attention!" She admonished. "You were at the conference when he introduced her to everyone!" Hearing her words and seeing his wavy hair, as well as a glimpse of his mask, Orihime managed to connect his face to one of the many Espada that had been seated at the table during her introduction.

"Is that so?" He said, utterly uncaring, as he resumed his previous position and lifted his arms to lock his hands behind his head.

"Um…I'm really sorry to be a bother," Orihime began warily. "But, if could you please direct me back to the fourth tower, I would be very grateful."

"Oh! She is that girl!" Lilynette declared as if solving a puzzle. "I don't see any other reason for her to want to be around Ulquiorra." Orihime watched as the small girl crawled out of his lap and began edging towards her, closing the gap between them as she moved across the ledge until she was nearly face to face with her. She leaned back as the younger girl leaned in. Her peach lips puckered out as her bright pink eye narrowed in on her. Without effort, her petite form slid smoothly from the rim of the outcrop. "Hm," She hummed quietly before her eye unabashedly slid to Orihime's chest.

Orihime blinked in astonishment when she felt a pair of small hands pressing against her breasts, lifting them gently.

"W-wh-wha-what are you doing?" She gulped awkwardly when the girl only continued to examine her with frank openness.

"Yeah," She stated to herself, as if answering a personal question. "They're as soft as they look." She nodded and angled her head back to the man behind her, never taking her eye off the other girl's chest. "Hey, Starrk, you should feel these!"

"No, no!" Orihime insisted adamantly. "That's really not necessary!" She said, waving her hands before her frantically.

"It's okay," Lilynette assured persistently. "His hands are much bigger, he can get a better feel for them."

Orihime felt her mouth go dry, but was relieved when the man only ignored them and continued sleeping, remaining wholly uninterested.

"Please, if you could just tell me how to get back to the fourth tower." Orihime persevered and tried to get back on subject. "I seem to have become separated from my friend and don't know my way back."

"You mean Ulquiorra?" Lilynette countered.

"Y-yes," Orihime nodded softly.

"Maybe if you didn't cry so much, you'd have a better idea of where you're going!" She said reproachfully, as if the girl were a hopeless case. "Although, it's not really surprising with the company you keep. That guy could make a rock cry." She intoned with morbid sarcasm. "He's totally heartless."

"That's not true," Orihime contended. "Ulquiorra can be a very kind person at times."

Lilynette blinked at her for a moment, staring her down with a blank expression – waiting for the joke attached at the end of that sentence, before she burst into a fit of laughter. When tears began to form in the corner of her eye and her chuckling only continued to bubble up from her chest, Orihime realized that she was laughing at her.

"I-it's true!" She proclaimed and leaned forward on her palms as her lip pouted out in retaliation.

"Mm-hm," The girl hummed quietly as she swatted her own laughter away with a few waves of her hand. "Only because Lord Aizen ordered him to be." She said with one final titter.

"Even so," Orihime responded slowly as she searched for the words to explain it. She and Ulquiorra didn't always see eye to eye, and trying to explain how someone she didn't even get along with entirely was a good person, had proven more difficult than she'd imagined.

Looking at the young female, Orihime realized that even though she appeared juvenile, she had probably known Ulquiorra for far longer and thus far better than Orihime did. The thought made her feel unsettled that someone knew him better than her, like the times when she realized Rukia understood and inspired Ichigo more than Orihime, a girl who'd known him far longer, ever had. The young Arrancar before her probably didn't need Orihime to explain anything about Ulquiorra to her, as she most likely already knew all she needed to know about the man.

And, strangely enough, she began to feel the inklings of jealousy creep into her heart.

"…have you known him very long?" She abruptly inquired, suddenly curious.

"Ulquiorra? Hm, yeah, I guess now that you mention it." She said as she leaned back and began to rub her chin again, crossing her forearm under her modest chest. "Other than that arrogant bastard Baraggan, Ulquiorra has been at Los Noches since before there were towers and ceilings. Actually...he was here even before we arrived." She paused, as if recalling a forgotten memory. "I remember when Lord Aizen first introduced us, it was so odd…" She said as her mouth formed into a thin line and the look in her eye grew slightly more serious. "…even back then, he was the Cuatro Espada, despite there being only three of us."

"Cuatro?" Orihime repeated, sobering up at this new information.

"Yeah, you know, our ranks." Lilynette supplied readily and Orihime recalled the time she had healed his arm as a demonstration for Aizen. She had seen his bare chest and he'd been tattooed with a black number four on his left pectoral, if she remembered correctly. As well, Grimmjow had made her restore one of those tattoos on his back the day she had been brought here. She had barely noticed them at the time, so distracted was she by things going on in the environment around her that she had nearly missed it. "It was always real strange with that guy, though. He never moved in rank, never advancing or demoting."

"Advancing and demoting?" Orihime shook her head mildly, her brows furrowing over her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't follow?" She intoned, urging for clarification.

"It means that no matter who died in status above or below him, his rank never changed." She stated simply.

"_Ulquiorra Cifer has always been the Cuatro Espada_."

She heard the girl supply evenly and although Orihime still did not completely understand this small bit of information, it gave her a strange and unsettling feeling to hear it, all the same.

Her troubled eyes lifted back to the young girl before her, intending to inquire more about her mysterious warden, only to miss her chance.

"Lilynette," Her companion's calm voice called out from behind them, stopping the small girl from speaking further on the matter. Orihime blinked in confusion when she looked up just as those piercingly grey eyes slid open. His youthful companion seemed to immediately pick up on his warning even though Orihime was left perplexed at the relaxed, yet alert look on the man's face as he stared into the space of the hall behind her.

Almost in answer to her bewilderment, Orihime felt the distinctly familiar coldness of her warden's reiatsu begin to surround her like a glove.

Whipping her head around, Orihime's chest flooded with relief as a pair of severe green eyes manifested out from the darkness of the shadows, staring openly at the lethargic Espada whom languidly stared back in silence.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime chirped happily. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" She said as she pushed herself from the floor, completely losing interest in all else around her upon his arrival.

At the sound of her voice, his hard eyes shifted to her figure as she hurried to him. Not wasting a second, the girl started in on her apologies and began yammering about her efforts to find her way back after unintentionally becoming lost and how she met these two kind people who were nice enough to help her.

Ulquiorra didn't listen to a word of it as his eyes continued to gaze into those of the Primera Espada before turning away, knowing the girl would follow after him.

"Oh!" She paused shortly and turned back to her unlikely companions. "Thank you for keeping me company." She intoned with a gentle bow of her head to show her gratitude and just as promptly turned and left.

Lilynette stared after the pair from her position on the floor where Orihime had left her, pondering over the peculiar girl with vague interest. "Do you think it's okay to leave her with him?" She mulled aloud.

"Lord Aizen wouldn't have left her with him if it wasn't." He sighed in annoyance at her aimless question as she crawled forward into his lap again. "It's not like it's any of our business, anyways." He said and leaned his head back into the cradle of his hands once more, not bothering to mind as she rested her cheek against his chest and collapsed on him.

"Yeah…" She hummed in agreement as her leg hung over his hip, swinging it lazily over the ledge while she stared out into the ferocity of the desert storm. "I guess you're right."

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TBC

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**I'm sorry for not posting last week. I went on vacation and forgot to mention there would be no update! Gosh though, the feedback you've all given me is just wondrous. I don't know how to thank you enough, it keeps me writing to know you're reading (and enjoying it, too!)**

**And, yikes! this chapter is too long! But a lot of things were addressed that needed to be in order to set up some of the plot. It has also come to my attention that my title is probably wrong! I think it's supposed to be the 'farthest' not the 'furthest', but I really like the latter. It just sounds better to my ears. So I'm keeping it!**


	9. Chapter 9

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CHAPTER 9

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She had left her room again.

But more than that, she had gone a step further and left the tower, obligating him to allot time out of his schedule to search for her half way across Las Noches.

He wondered if she realized just how much danger she was truly in when she defied him in these ways. After the attempt on her life, he would have to think yes. But her reckless actions seemed to indicate otherwise. She had been utterly fearless in the face of the Espada, fearless in the worst possible way.

The girl danced around Las Noches as if she belonged here, drawing in the hardened gazes of those she passed along the way and leaving an emptiness when she left them behind, painting the walls with the red of her hair like the stroke of brush. She smeared them with her colors and left radiance and luminosity in her wake as if they were nothing more than a blank canvass for her to play and toy with at her whim.

Her fingers would skim along the walls, staining them with the warmth of her touch until they radiated with heat, vivacity and life.

If he tied her down and locked her away, she would break free. And she would run.

It would never change.

She never faded, never withered. Not in the way a mortal should have in such a place as this. Her eyes didn't lose their light and her skin hadn't paled. Her natural, beguiling beauty hadn't changed.

Something inside him wanted to see her wilt. He wanted to see her lose that precious heart she worshiped so faithfully, to watch the look in her eyes the very moment she began to decay - that moment when her delicate, fragile heart was ripped from her chest and the cold emptiness of nothing slowly saturated her insides.

She would learn in those moments that this 'heart' wasn't the forgiving, loving mistress she had believed it to be. Not when the blackness of oblivion and the dense weight of reality was wrapping around her ribs and squeezing out every ounce of hope and trust that was held within her small, frail body.

Would she hate him then?

If he took her heart in his hands and held it before her eyes.

Would she still believe in the heart if she no longer possessed one? To feel that vacant hole in her breast where something precious and treasured to her once resided, now cold and hollow, would she still smile and hope and love? Would her eyes still be filled with laughter? Would she break apart and crumble like ash…or, perhaps…

Would she gather those pieces in her hands and hold them close to her wounded breast? Cradling and clutching them in her warmth until they mended under her caring, golden shield of forgiveness. Would she take those pieces, scarred and raw, and place them back where they belong?

She pretends as though it is something that is not physical, that if one stole that small, beating muscle from her delicate fingers it would continue to pulse with life regardless.

She thinks it will carry on even when she is gone.

She is wrong and Ulquiorra is unsure of whether he should bother to correct her.

The girl covers her eyes and spins around and around until she is dizzy with happiness. Happiness that is full and pure because she has blinded herself to the reality of what the world truly is, to the fact that her heart is nothing more than a contrived figment of her deprived imagination. She is resplendent even as her friends sit idly by with enraptured eyes, never correcting her mistakes, never pulling her hands down to show her the ugliness that surrounded her. They allow her to fool herself, selfishly protecting their belief in innocence in order to gaze upon this perfect image of beauty that she offers them. She is a perfect rendition of what a heart is supposed to be, she is the reflection of what lay buried inside her chest, carefully guarded by rows of gilded ribs.

It is full of compassion and trust and virtue until it nearly bursts at the seams. It is framed with candid benevolence and guilelessness and decorated with integrity and goodness.

But she is only human, after all.

Amid her naivety, it has become painfully obvious by now that she is incapable of reflecting on the repercussions of befriending the enemy. She has not considered the moments when her eyes will have to bear witness to the scenes of her cherished friends standing face to face with the Hollows that hold her captive, the very Hollows she was allowing into her inner world. Undoubtedly, it would manifest into the death of one or the other. Parties would get hurt, mortally wounded, and she would be faced with the unsavory decision of choosing whose life to save. Her seemingly impervious heart would become exposed and vulnerable.

She treated the Espada as if they were her playmates. But when the time came, pain would fill those soulful eyes of hers and she would learn and she would cry out for help and beg for that hurt inside her heart to end.

However, it was one thing to rip that heart from her chest…what would it look like if it shattered instead? She had spoken of broken hearts and the pain they cause.

Do they crack and splinter slowly? Or would it simply rupture and fall to pieces?

He doesn't believe she has ever truly experienced pain, the kind to torment and leave behind endless suffering in its wake. If so, her smile would not be so openly genuine. The tilt of her head would not be so soft and the blush on her cheeks would never be so gentle. She is too spirited and full of life to have ever suffered the agony of having her soul, her very core, ripped from her being.

Would her companions still want her if she no longer possessed a heart?

Would all these Captains still risk the war if her heart was broken?

Would Ichigo Kurosaki come for her if he took her heart?

They were foolish for desiring such things.

Even so, Ulquiorra knew that creatures driven solely by ambitions that were based on illusions of hearts and visions of fantasies were, by nature, dangerous. For they knew no limits or boundaries and their eyes were veiled by fanciful fallacies.

Lifting a hand from his side, Ulquiorra pressed it against the magnificent large doors of the library. As it cracked open, cries of laughter and excitement filled the hall, spilling out of the room and pouring into the palace like water soaking into the desert sands, saturating the parched wasteland like forbidden rain. It flooded the corridors and passages softly, rising and falling in crescendo.

He stepped forward, following the wide path of aisles that braced entryway. Glimpses of cinnamon hair and flickers of white robes skirted through his peripheral, ghosting through the countless rows of books that lined the shelves. Laughter rang out to the vaulted ceiling, resonating like the melodic chime of a bell as a familiar, light voice melted into the echoes of giggles and voices like a chorus.

"You'll never catch me, Wonderweiss-san!" A vivacious voice teased. It bubbled with exultance and delight, brimming with a touch of exhilaration, anxious of the boy close at her heel.

"Hey! That's cheating, you brat!" Another youthful female announced irately, the voice preceding an indiscernible noise of objection and slurred words of illegible utterances.

Ulquiorra paused in the foyer, circular and open, that was surrounded by endless aisles of books outlining the round lobby. His green eyes glanced down where several pairs of shoes, capes and stockings lay on the floor, haphazardly discarded without a care to decorate the broad tiles that rested there.

An enthusiastic bark reverberated against the tomes as blissful laughter hummed through the air, eliciting a squeal of surprise.

"No, you idiot!" The youthful voice reproved again. "We're not using sonido!" It admonished with a playful sternness. A loud smack suddenly resounded through the room, soon followed by a pained groan. His gaze fell to a long chaise lounge where a relaxed figure was sprawled out comfortably, snoring softly with a large pillow jammed tightly over a head of wavy brown hair to block out the hectic noises that flooded the room.

Soon, there was more barking and howling that called out to the others, demanding attention. "Come on, hurry! She's getting away!" The impatient youth urged eagerly.

Ulquiorra's eyes rose from the floor, lifting high to one of the many shelves that nearly reached the ceiling where a pair of legs lay draped over the edge of the mantelpiece.

"I thought I told you to stay away from the woman." He said quietly.

Lazily, a hand appeared out from the top of the ledge, its middle finger poised above the rest in a very cavalier manner of disregard.

"Have I failed to make you understand this? Or, perhaps, it is merely that you are incompetent." He said as he turned his head, his sharply slit pupils pursuing the flashes of auburn and ivory that danced between walls of books, always preceding traces of pastel green flickers and flares of flaxen hair and laughter. "It would seem as though you are incapable of following a simple command."

A chuckle sounded from above him.

"Yeah…and maybe when you get done pulling that stick out of your ass you can go tattle on me to Aizen like the stuck-up prick you are."

"You would rather me inform Kaname Tosen, instead?" Ulquiorra responded evenly as he glanced back up, gauging the man that now sat upright with his forearms resting against his thighs. His shocking blue hair stood out harshly against the stark white of the ceiling as he stared down at Ulquiorra with a slight slouch in his posture. His narrowed cobalt eyes sparked with azure flames. "I am certain he would have little issue in aiding with your demotion once more."

Grimmjow frowned sharply.

"Asshole." He cursed with a snarl.

"I will not warn you again," Ulquiorra stated, his voice was rich with soft smoothness as he effortlessly ignored the insult. "The next time you remove her from the tower, I will ensure that your death will be as slow and excruciating as possible."

"Well fuck, I think I just pissed myself…" He droned flatly, openly mocking him. "Hell Ulquiorra, if I knew she could get you to fight me this easily, I would have started playing with the princess a lot sooner than this," He chuckled deeply and was only slightly annoyed by the pale man's lack of reaction to him, not bothering to deign looking upon him even as Grimmjow's blazing blue irises glared straight into his back. "Heh, I think I'll just start dragging her pretty little ass all over Las Noches if that's the case…I'm sure that will get your attention." Rather loudly, Grimmjow nearly snorted in amusement and pulled a leg up to rest his foot on the ledge, keeping the curve of his elbow relaxed against his bent knee. "You'll be begging me to fight you." He announced conceitedly, imagining the satisfying prospect of having the pale Espada right in the palm of his hand.

"Who said I would ever fight the likes of you," Ulquiorra intoned carelessly, reminding the blue haired man that there were an abundance of other candidates who could fulfill the job of executing him. There always had been more than one way to accomplish dirty deeds in a place like Las Noches.

Grimmjow's arrogant smirk quickly faded into a glower. "You fucking prig," He growled out. "Everyone knows how afraid of me you are…even the princess can see the fear in your eyes. You should just give in and fight me, already." He informed with a renewed chuckle. "Ya know, the harder you fight it, the more you'll want it…_and you know you want it_." His voice was lowered, deeper, trying to taunt the shorter man further. "Just give it up – I promise I'll make it _real_ good for you. That is, if you think you can handle me." Grimmjow fought the urge to grit his teeth as he stared down the back of Ulquiorra's head, willing him to acknowledge him. "Or are you just that terrified of me…because you know I'll make everyone see how weak you are. Then again, I always did wonder what it would feel like to pin you down and force you to beg for mercy."

Grimmjow smirked as Ulquiorra stared him down from the corner of his eye, sniggering at the slightly disgusted frown set across his mouth. A stretch of silence passed between them with only the sounds of giggling and laughter filling the background.

To their left, a loud, half choked snore erupted from Starrk's mouth as he rolled onto his back, the oversized pillow still covering his face as he absentmindedly scratched at his chest.

"I will say it again," Ulquiorra warned steadily, his tones were hushed and quiet. Dangerous in their misleading softness. "Leave the woman alone, she belongs to Lord Aizen. She is not your property to do with as you please."

"Oh, but of course," Grimmjow scoffed. "And you think if she was my property, I wouldn't have pleased myself with her a hell of a lot sooner than this?" He grinned wickedly, keeping his smirk wide and sordid.

When his suggestive comments had gotten him absolutely nowhere as usual, Grimmjow sighed and leaned back on his elbows, staring up at the ceiling with a bored expression.

"You know, if you keep trying to lock her up like that, she's just going to keep breaking out." He informed gruffly, still irate at the pale man's lack of response to his taunting. "Bitches like that don't do well in cages."

"You forget her role here, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra informed with a dark edge biting at his tone. She was a prisoner here, cages or no, it was her place to be a captive of Aizen Sosuke. No matter how abundantly the ex Shinigami Captain doted on her and welcomed her with kind words and precious gifts, she had no free will. She could not leave.

She was a tool to be used at his disposal.

"Whatever," Grimmjow curled his lip in annoyance. "I don't give a shit what you use the princess for, but the more you chain her up in some deep, dark pit, the more she's just going to resist you. It won't be my fault if she becomes useless to Lord Aizen because she starts to hate you for locking her away like a fucking animal."

"…and yet, I have never locked her door."

Grimmjow shot upright once more, anger flaring in through reiatsu.

He hated that man, the way he just stood there with his hands in his pockets, gazing up at him with vacant eyes. The ease in which he affronted him with naught but a simple word, a simple glance or a turn of the head absolutely incensed him, insulting him without a single inflection in that annoyingly composed timbre of his voice.

Grimmjow glared down at the shorter Espada with contempt and hatred. Leaning forward with calculating slowness to rest his forearms on his thighs, a deep grimace marred his lips as an aggressive snarl revealed several wicked teeth. "Fuck off, Ulquiorra." He growled out quietly. "One of these days when Aizen ain't around to protect you, I'll be there and it'll be me that sends your sorry pale ass to hell."

"There will be no further warnings," Ulquiorra said as he turned from the blue haired man to exit the room. "If you value your life, as well as hers, you will stay away from her."

"And what the fuck's that supposed to mean?" Grimmjow roared in anger and nearly jumped to his feet. "Get back here and say that to my face, you disgusting excuse of a man!" He demanded, only to begin feeling that seed of rage burn to life inside of him, flaring outwards in an uncontrollable frenzy when Ulquiorra failed to grant him acknowledgement. He felt his teeth grinding together harshly as the seconds went by without reply and, for a brief moment, Grimmjow considered mauling him before he could reach the door, even if it meant using a cowardly tactic like attacking his back.

Ulquiorra's steps paused abruptly, his head turning the left. His green eyes narrowed slowly and his frown deepened.

Someone else was in the library.

_This reiatsu…_

It was slithering too close, far too close to the woman. It was trying to hide itself and mask its presence as it slipped around her and slinked by her other two companions, as if observing them, waiting until she was alone and disconnected from his protection, trying to slip past his watchful eye.

It was the movements of a predator.

And it was hunting.

Suddenly it wrapped itself around her, cutting her off from him completely.

"Ichimaru…"

He heard Grimmjow say something distasteful behind him, but in the next second he was gone, leaving the foyer behind without hesitation.

Snakes always did prefer to hunt in the grass.

.

.

.

Orihime gasped as she spun around a corner and pressed her back against a tall shelf in a secluded corner of the library. Her heart was beating so fast it felt as if it may explode. She pressed her fingers to the side of her neck to calm her pulse as her other hand quickly reached up to stifle a giggle.

They were so fast!

She had been at a clear disadvantage, but the thrill of the chase had left her so full of energy and excitement that it threatened to bubble over into another fit of laughter. It always had been a strange, yet exhilarating sensation when someone was at your heels, just inches shy of wrapping their fingers around you and proclaiming victory. It prompted her feet to move faster and faster until they nearly gave out.

Orihime bit her lip when she heard Lilynette's loud call to Wonderweiss, announcing that she had just caught another glimpse of their quarry. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled and turned to run deeper into the yawning depths of the archives.

The young pastel haired girl had protested that such a game was far too childish for her, let alone Orihime. But when she and Wonderweiss had taken off and disappeared into the ocean of books that surrounded them, an energetic dog on their heels, it had not been long before the girl's frown had been begrudgingly wiped from her face and soon enough she was pursuing and searching for Orihime with more vigor and liveliness than the young Arrancar would have probably cared to admit.

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Orihime's bright eyes widened with mischievous intent as she pressed herself into small corner, hiding behind a wide pillar. Her fingers wrapped into the many layers of her skirts as she lifted them to her thighs, bundling them up tightly so they would not protrude beyond the edge of the wall and give her away. Her bare feet danced in place, anxious and restless.

She heard them in the distance and was pleased with herself for accomplishing the mighty task of putting such a wide birth between them in such a short period of time.

Fidgety and slightly twitching with impatience, she took a step back further behind the pillar as her eyes dared to try and peek out from the other side. Her back bumped into something warm and alive, pressing tightly against a hard chest.

Orihime's eyes widened in shock as a squeal of alarm began to erupt from her throat before a hand immediately covered her mouth, blinding her with fear. She could only guess at the unmentionable beings that inhabited these dark and lonely reaches of the library, ghosts and monsters, lurking and waiting for a wandering soul to fall into their dusty webs.

Her imagination began to stretch and curve to some rather phobic and nasty conclusions before a familiar voice whispered next to her ear, causing her to blink in surprise.

"Now, now, angel face," It tsk'ed reproachfully as fingers that were cool to the touch caressed the soft roundness of her flushed cheek, holding her with a palm that was warm and moist with the heat of her breath. "You should know by now that delicate and rare flowers need close, attentive devotion for them to thrive properly…otherwise, the desert just might suck the life right out of them." The voice teased and Orihime felt a tingle of relief spread through her stomach, even as she felt his smile widen against her neck. "…they should never be left unattended in such a careless manner. After all, flowers are so delicate and frail. Who knows what may happen…" He whispered wickedly as his fingers began to slither up her cheek to tease the tender flesh just below her ear.

"Ichimaru-san!" She tittered softly when his breath tickled her neck, reaching up to pull his hand away. "That tickles!" She giggled again and squirmed out of his arms until he finally released his hold. "You shouldn't scare me like that." She added with friendly admonishment.

She supposed she had been overall relieved that he'd spoken up before her imagination had gotten a chance to run away with her more than it already had.

He'd startled her so bad. She hadn't sensed him for a moment, even now she could not feel his presence if not for the fact that her eyes were looking straight into his. How very strange. Her ability to recognize and sense reiatsu had always been sharp and naturally in tune to her environment.

"Oh, I frightened you?" He smiled secretively as she stepped out from behind their shared pillar, dusting her skirts off to remove the wrinkles where her fingers had clutched at them.

"Well," She began. "I certainly wasn't expecting to meet anyone so far back in the library." She laughed softly. It was all very strange, indeed. "What on earth were you doing back there?" She asked with a curious smile.

"I could ask the very same of you, my sweet little flower," He began slyly, slowly progressing alongside one of the many shelves as he examined the tomes with false interest. In the shadowy depths of the library, his platinum hair still seemed to shine like starlight, even as the pure white of his uniform had faded to a dull grey in the darkness. And yet, when he casually turned on her to smirk even wider, Orihime found she did not like the way that darkness played with his smile.

Orihime wondered, just maybe, if Rangiku-san had ever seen that darkness before.

"I suppose you could say I was hiding," She remarked with a playful tilt of her head. "From the looks of it, I would say you were doing the same?" Her eyebrow arched expectantly, waiting for him to agree.

"And whatever gave you that idea?" Gin chuckled smoothly as he slowly began to close the gap between them.

Orihime stifled another giggle as she hid her arms behind her back, wrapping her fingers about her wrist as she leaned forward to eye him impishly. "Don't you think it's obvious?" She intoned smartly. Her cheeks were full and round with the curve of her smile.

"Tell me, my beautiful flower girl," His steps glided with effortless indifference as moved around her. When his gaze fell elsewhere, examining the tomes surrounding them, she straightened her back to observe him clearly. "Does Cuatro-san know you're out of your room?" He inquired nonchalantly.

The corner of Orihime's lips slipped into a confused frown for a moment. "Cuatro-san?" She blinked in her puzzlement and Gin only smirked.

"You know, Aizen will kill him if anything happens to you."

Orihime felt her heart stop as any remaining rays of light, dainty smiles and blurs of laughter faded from her eyes when she realized whom he was referring to.

"You mean…Ulquiorra?"

"Of course, of course," He drawled easily. "I just thought you might like to know."

Her dark eyes lowered to the floor as a wave of guilt and worry filled her chest. Aizen would…kill Ulquiorra if she were hurt? A whirlwind of confusing and troubling emotions began to sweep through her mind as she tried to muddle through all the confounding thoughts.

Ulquiorra had repeatedly warned her to stay in her room, where it was safe. Yet she ignored his words of caution and rushed forward like a fool into places and parts of Las Noches that she, admittedly, did not know if they were safe or not. He had watched out for her, protected her and guarded her, _he never hurt her_, and she constantly degraded his efforts by placing herself in danger. Throughout her rebellion he'd never punished her, never hurt her. But even so, while he did not physically harm her, he would chastise her by hurting those she cared for - just as he had done to Grimmjow and when he had threatened her friends when she refused to follow him into Hueco Mundo.

She remembered what Lilynette had told her when they first met, about how Ulquiorra was only 'kind' to her because Aizen had bid it of him. So many people that she had met here cursed him and spoke in sermons about how fiendish and terrible Ulquiorra was, something she could not find it in her to believe. But now…was he truly only civil with her because he had no choice?

Would he…hurt her if it was not commanded of him to care for her?

He'd told her never to leave her room or the tower to keep her safe, but now she could not discern if it was for her benefit or his own.

Despite his intentions, a piece of her heart, a portion that was much larger than she had realized it'd become, could not bear the thought of his death. It was sizably heavy and thick with emotion, circular and carved from the center of her heart.

And with a sense of apprehension, it feared his death.

Something suddenly gripped her heart so hard and painfully that she gasped. Her fingers grazed over her abdomen to try and dispel the excruciating sensation as she turned away from Gin's prying and disturbingly knowing gaze.

"Ichimaru-san?" She questioned with sober quietness and when she heard no reply she continued anyways. "What did you come here for?"

Gin released a long, relaxed sigh, his grin nearly reaching his eyes as he felt that stale coldness begin to fill the air around them. "I just came to check up on a friend…that's all."

"You mean…me?" She asked with a bewildered furrow of her brow.

"You could say that," His chuckle was sinful and untrustworthy. His eyes were set on a figure ahead of her, slowly closing in on them from the grey, dreary shadows.

Her eyes followed his gaze, her lips parting in silent shock at the sight of her warden's hard eyes staring straight through her, never leaving the grinning façade of the man behind her. "Ul…Ulquiorra?" She breathed nervously, suddenly aware of the heavy atmosphere around them.

"Ah, Cuatro-san," Gin sniggered towards the pale man that continued to steadily approach them. "My, my, slacking on your duties again, are we?" He remarked with smooth mockery.

Orihime took a step back from the pale man before her, unable to read the vacant expression on his stony face. His hands may have remained in his pockets, but there seemed to be a tightness in his shoulders that spoke to the slight shift in his demeanor.

"You can imagine my surprise finding our dearest Orihime-chan all the way out here…and by herself, no less." He said as Ulquiorra began to move around her, circling the girl quietly as Gin slinked his way just as slowly by her, as well; minding himself to always keep her between them, never giving the pale Espada a clear shot. "How very fortunate I was here to keep her company." He grinned as he moved behind her, his fingers playing through her hair as he continued to calmly evade Ulquiorra's severe stare.

Orihime quickly wrapped her arms around herself when she began to feel the distinct embers of a confrontation sparking to life between them. "Ulquiorra?" She questioned again as she sought his eyes, growing steadily more uncomfortable by the second as she remained trapped between the two men like a barrier, a piece of meat being torn apart by ruthless beasts contesting for ownership.

Something was wrong here…

She couldn't place her finger on it, but something was happening that was just outside of her understanding. It was flickering dangerously on the peripheral of her knowledge, but as she felt Gin's reiatsu gradually begin to rise in a goading manner she knew all it would take was one wrong move, a single misplaced word, before a fire was ignited.

"After all," Gin began deviously as her hair slipped from his long fingers. "We wouldn't want anything terrible to happen to her, now would we?"

It was sudden and it was terrifying. In that moment, all the air had left her lungs as a release of reiatsu the likes of which she'd never known abruptly flooded the room. Her eyes widened dramatically as she tentatively turned her head to regard the pale man behind her, the source of the pressure. Standing still as a statue, his stoic features remained unmoved against the wicked grin of the ex Shinigami male before her.

Orihime felt her fingers begin to tremble as the sensation of his reiatsu crawling over her body left her sick and dizzy. It was quite possibly the most repulsive and endless void of pitiless despair she'd ever known. It crept over her like dry ice and pried itself into her chest as it wrapped around her heart and just _squeezed_. It constricted around it until she feared it would rupture and burst.

The pressure in the room made her head ache and her ears pop and Orihime desperately grasped at the fibers of her inner strength while fighting down the uncomfortable sensation of fear clambering around inside her stomach like razor-winged butterflies.

"Is that a threat, Ichimaru?" He stated quietly, his voice was hollow and unchanged.

"Oh my," Gin chuckled amusedly as he slithered closer to Orihime. "How scary." He said as his grin shifted into something malicious, veiled and buried beneath his deceptive guise. But the crease at the corners of his lips and the obscure manner in which his eyes slid open hinted at his intentions. "You know," He began with purposeful provocation. "You really should do something about that heart condition of yours, Cuatro-san." His hand leisurely started to lift to her hair again.

Instantly, a thick, heavy wall of reiatsu surrounded her that was dense and impenetrable as Gin quickly retracted his hand from the crushing pressure. His smile slipped and his blue eyes hardened as he glared at the pale Espada. A point was being made here, he was warning him to stay away from her. As pleased as Gin was that he'd finally seemed to get under Ulquiorra's skin for once, it hadn't been as genuine as he'd hoped. For although he'd gotten a rise from him, it had only been a product of obligation on Ulquiorra's part to stave off further contact Gin may have with the girl.

He'd seen Gin as a threat and he was removing that threat.

Orihime swallowed nervously as she watched the corner of Gin's mouth dip into a dangerous frown. Something in her gut twisted. It was shady and foreboding. She'd never seen his smile slip from his face in quite such a frightening manner.

"Wings or no," Gin said with a dark chuckle as he moved around her, now seemingly interested in only one thing while his cool blue eyes locked on the pale man standing several feet from her back. "Bats are rodents, Cuatro-san…snakes devour rodents. Or didn't you know?" He drawled coaxingly, trying to pull the other man in, daring him to make the first move. Although Orihime felt lost by the direction of his words, she was overtly aware the focus of the platinum haired male's attention had wholly transferred to her reluctant guardian.

Ulquiorra was silent for a beat longer, his mannequin-like expression never changing, never altering in the face of his indirect threats and slurs. It was when Orihime felt the slight fluctuation in Gin's reiatsu that fear began to rattle her chest. Regardless of intention, she did not want to see the two men initiate a fight that she may or may not have triggered.

She bit her tongue and held her breath as Ulquiorra closed his eyes and turned his head away, dismissing his threats when he began to grow tired of his game. "Unless you wish to test this theory, I suggest you leave and never approach the woman again."

"Whoever said it was her I was after…Cuatro-san?" He quietly baited with his smile firmly back in place. Ulquiorra's eyes quickly slid back open, glaring at the slender man from the corner of his eye.

"Leave." He said quietly, his reiatsu never wavering in the face of such an untrustworthy creature the likes of Gin Ichimaru.

"Leave?" Gin intoned with false astonishment. "Now, why ever would I want to do that? Weren't we having fun, Cuatro-san? Don't you want to test out my theory?" His sarcasm was thick as he continued to jeer and antagonize him. Unlike the rest of the Espada, Gin knew exactly what words to say to draw the pale man into a scuffle.

Ulquiorra's head lifted at his words while his feet shifted minutely until he had the Shinigami directly in his sights. "Do you wish to fight me, Ichimaru?" He inquired impassively. He did not waste his time mincing words and reacting to his jabs.

"Goodness, how very dull," Gin gave an exaggerated sigh. "Always straight to the point, Cuatro-san…it's quite boring." He said in regards to the Espada's lifeless stare.

"That's what I keep telling him." A gruff voice sounded from above, crude and uncaring for the tense atmosphere. "I really hate insipid bastards like that. Even so…nothing really pisses me off more than a snake in the grass."

Orihime lifted her head. A large smile erupted on her face as she saw the broad figure perched over them, crouching on the ledge of the tall shelf with his forearms resting on his knees. "Grimmjow-kun!" She announced happily, hoping his arrival would break the tension.

Sharp eyes glared down on the scene below him as his hands clenched, stretching and prepping the muscles in his arms. "So why don't you just step away from the bitch and maybe I won't decide to pound your face in." He suggested boorishly as his frown curled into a crude snarl.

"How chilling," Gin's chuckle was ironic and slightly sardonic as he eyed the man with little interest. "And here I thought Cuatro-san was terrifying." He practically cooed.

"You fucking slime bag!" Grimmjow growled and rose to his feet, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Come now," Gin murmured, his words were articulating a soothing tone that mocked the Espada's bristly temper. "There's no need for name calling." He said and Grimmjow's hackles rose in anger.

"How's about I rip that clever voice box of yours right out from your throat and shove it up your ass?" He warned as his foot rested precariously on the edge of the shelf, readying himself to attack the slender man at any second. "You do enough talking out of your ass as it is, anyways," He continued on. "One way or another, you Shinigami are all the same. It always ends with your blood on my hands." He expressed with loathing abhorrence, glowering at him.

When the small, white dog that had been pursuing Orihime throughout the library broke into the silent bubble of chaos that surrounded the girl, Wonderweiss and Lilynette arrived soon after, the former utterly oblivious to the hostility that filled the air around them.

"What the hell's going on here?" Lilynette demanded harshly, fully aware, yet wholly uncaring of the tight friction between the three men. "Are these asshole's giving you shit, Orihime?" She inquired severely as Wonderweiss wrapped himself around the girl in question, believing he had won the game.

Lilynette's small fists rested on her hips as she eyed each man carefully, ignoring the annoyed look Grimmjow was giving her.

"Butt out, brat." He ordered roughly. "Does this look like a place for a fucking kid?"

"Who are you calling a kid, you oversized house cat!" She shot back with a frown, her pink eye narrowing in on the tall man menacingly.

"Shouldn't you be off sucking on your mother's tit or something?" He growled back as his head tilted back, glaring down at her with an abrasive snarl.

"You asshole!" She hissed in fury causing her cheeks to puff out in rage. "You should know your dick belongs in your pants, not in your personality, you big jerk!" She retaliated, even as her lips began to alternate between puckering and pursing at his callous insults, trying to remain unaffected.

The dog had already begun barking again and with Lilynette and Grimmjow's bickering Orihime tried to sort through the chaotic mess around her. "Wonderweiss-san," She said, trying to keep the anxiety from her tone as she gently began to unsuccessfully pry him from her person. "Please, I need to…" She urged, attempting to coax him off of her as she watched the intense looks that continued to pass between Ulquiorra and Gin for several moments longer.

If she could just get to Ulquiorra and talk to him…

The smile on Gin's mouth was tense and rigid, it was up to no good. His hands were tucked neatly within the large cup of his sleeves while he observed the pale Espada before him, chuckling amusedly when he glanced back to see the distraught expression marring her beautiful face. When she saw him slip back into his usual demeanor, along with his mysterious smile, Orihime felt some semblance of balance return and she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's quite unfortunate," Gin smoothly intoned when he began to feel the stirring flickers of reiatsu of Starrk rousing from his sleep. "But it would seem as if I am gravely outnumbered." He stated with a distraught sigh, taking a dangerous step forward into Ulquiorra's space, far too close for Orihime to feel comfortable, for anyone to feel comfortable. "_Cuatro-san…_" He uttered in a quiet bid of farewell, smirking at the expressionless Espada before abruptly disappearing from sight.

Orihime rolled her lips together uneasily as she watched her warden remain as still as a statue in the moments after, his eyes holding a deep, cavernous vacancy.

She flinched when he suddenly turned, walking away from the scene that had only grown louder and noisier with the bickering of her companions and the barking of the energetic animal howling with excitement.

"Ulquiorra!" She called desperately, trying to untangle herself from the flaxen haired boy wrapped around her waist. "Wait, please!" She called again. Her hand reached for him only to hastily bring back to her side to pry the strong arms from her ribs.

When she felt Wonderweiss begin to loosen his grip, she immediately twisted free and ran after him, hastening her pace to try and catch up before he could escape her sight again.

The soft tapping of her bare feet echoed like faint kisses against the floor beneath her. Her delicate brows furrowed into a knot of worry when she failed to see him ahead of her, even as the white rows of shelves began to grow darker and darker still the deeper she journeyed into the archives.

When she saw the familiar white outline of his figure in the shadows, a small smile of relief tilted her lips as she hurried towards him. "Ulquiorra!" She called, trying to gain his attention, only to have him ignore her.

Her toes were chilled and her breath was hitched as she reached his side and when her fingers tentatively reached out to grip his sleeve her dark eyes blinked in confusion when he remained silent and continued forward. He hadn't even bothered to stop for her.

Suddenly feeling very nervous and awkward, Orihime stood in place for a moment before she fell into step behind him. She glanced over her shoulder, back to the brighter end of the library as she realized they were heading in the wrong direction. "Um…we're going the wrong way," She announced hesitantly, trying something, anything, to get him to respond to her. "The entrance is in the front…at least, I think." She trailed off apprehensively.

It was eerily calm and when the last screeches of Grimmjow and Lilynette's bickering faded into the distance, Orihime gripped her hands tightly to her upper arms, staving off the harsh coldness radiating from the unspeaking man before her.

"Are we going back to my room?" She inquired quietly, self-consciously, suddenly feeling as if she had done something very, very wrong to have deserved his silence.

The hall they were traveling was framed by towers of bookcases bracing each side, straight and narrow. It never seemed as if it would end.

"Ulquiorra?" She whispered softly, pleading for his acknowledgment and reassurance. She had caused him trouble and she knew it.

Orihime felt a shiver crawl over her skin as she thought back to his reiatsu being released over her, covering her and protecting her from something she still did not wholly understand. She had never recalled feeling Ulquiorra's reiatsu flex in her entire box of memories she'd recorded of him. Although it had always been hauntingly empty of life and compassion, as well as alarmingly sinister in its nature, it had never altered. It had always, _always_ remained flat and level, unwavering and controlled with near surgical precision.

For him to have unscrewed the tightly sealed cap on that spiritual pressure, even to allow a small amount to drain out in order to make a point, Orihime wondered if Gin Ichimaru could have possibly meant her…harm. Orihime did not want to think that of him, not Ichimaru, not the man Rangiku-san loved.

Yet, as she reflected on her troubling mood, she could not rid herself of the peculiar intuition that it had not been she whom Gin had been interested in at all.

Closing her eyes, Orihime's brows knit together tightly as she began to grow restless in his silence. It was becoming irksome and she was trying not to react to her agitation. She was tired of being ignored by him. Something in her yearned for his recognition, his acceptance. Even his acknowledgment, at the very least, would have eased her.

"I didn't know you didn't want me near him," She whispered with reluctant defeat. "You could have told me." She said, knowing her efforts were for naught. But Orihime always had been a pessimist. She believed in the good of people and that even a few simple words could reach someone, even if it didn't openly show.

She lifted her eyes as they approached a large set of doors tucked in the farthest depths of the library. Everything in Las Noches had always been so big…so much bigger than her.

His hand touched the flat planes of one of the doors and when she felt a small rush of his reiatsu easily surge through the solid marble under his fingers, she felt her hand lifting unwittingly, reaching for him. She wanted desperately to break this silence, somehow.

Her fingers curled back uncertainly, pulling away shyly before swallowing her pride and extending them further.

Disappointment filled her when she sensed every muscle in his body remain wholly unmoved as she gently brushed the arm resting at his side. Her touch was tender and soft as her palm pressed into the back of his arm when she moved along beside him, wrapping her other arm smoothly around his to hold it close to her chest.

A faint fluttering coursed through her body as her lashes lowered over her eyes, and when she pressed her cheek soothingly to his shoulder and pulled his arm tightly into her breast, her heart trembled mightily - blushing as the solid muscle in his arm flexed hard when he felt that strong, quivering heartbeat against his flesh.

"Ulquiorra…" The dulcet whisper of her voice wafted over the silence and he felt that soft hand begin to move over his chest, slow and purposeful. "I'm sorry… I know you're only trying to protect me." The melodic lull of her voice was pulling at him...and she reached further and further…and further.

Those elegant fingers slid under the narrow opening of his jacket, touching his cold flesh where she faintly grazed the empty hole that lay there…and he realized just exactly what it was she was searching for.

Abruptly, her wrist was gripped and twisted away from him, pinned above her head as she was pressed harshly against the door before him. She gasped in a fleeting moment of fear as she stared up at him in stunned silence.

Her dark eyes remained wide and confused as she stood frozen by the cruelty in his gaze. She could feel his fingers placidly move over the frail underside of her wrist, wanting to squeeze, wanting to warn her off from touching him there again. His thumb lightly pressed there, gently running along the pale blue vein until it reached the small bone at the base of her palm.

She shrank against the door at her back, her free hand palming the cool marble in an effort to sink further into the solid partition.

Her gaze never left his, yet when the cold green eyes that stared down at her narrowed slightly and his thumb tenderly pressed into the vein at her wrist, her lips parted on a silent gasp at the look that had overcame those vacant eyes.

She could feel her pulse steadily pushing through the vein under his thumb. Humming like a song.

The charming curve of her lashes fluttered momentarily before her dark eyes slowly widened at the flicker of curiosity in his gaze.

The library was dark and she was only vaguely aware of a hand ghosting over her arm until it was suddenly at the back of her neck, pulling her forward even as her wrist remained trapped against the door.

She felt his fingertips press into her jaw and his thumb skim the sensitive nape of her neck, angling her head aside. Strands of her hair curved and swam across her shoulder like a curtain of silk threads and cinnamon lace, brushing his cheek as he slowly leaned in, touching beneath her ear with his cold lips in just the barest of grazes.

"Ulquiorra…" She murmured, unsure if it was a protest or an inquiry.

Her hand softly rested against his forearm, confusion and heat spreading through her body when his lips moved like smoke over her flesh with agonizingly slow intent and his fingers tilted her head back, his thumb tangling in her hair.

Orihime gasped shakily, her very breath leaving her body when those lips pressed into the pulse hidden beneath the thin layer of flesh there, thrumming and fluttering under his ministrations. Her hand clenched under his grip and her eyes slipped closed as she relaxed into his touch, slanting her head softly as she allowed him to handle her as he pleased. She was letting him closer, allowing her heart trust him far more openly than her mind was warning her not to.

"Is this the heart…Orihime Inoue?" His hushed tones were only overshadowed by the violent shudder that overcame her legs when she felt the vague brush of his teeth raking across her pulse, forcing an aching heat to throb outwards from her core.

Her thighs shivered once before she tensed her legs, suppressing the tremors that only seemed to grow in magnitude the more she fought the urge to press herself into him. But when his cold hand suddenly pulled her neck forward, his mouth pressing a hard kiss into the frantic pulse of her heart, a shaky, quiet cry erupted from her throat as she arched into him – pooling her breasts firmly against his chest and forcing the strong reverberations of the beating of her heart to flow into him.

Orihime bit her lip and trembled delicately. Tenderly, her fingers brushed the back of his wrist, traveling down the hard length of his arm as she felt his other hand squeeze her wrist in response.

"This heart…" He intoned quietly, smoothly. Only pausing to whisper against her ear. "...by the end of this war…I will hold it in my hand…" He murmured softly, causing her to flinch when his hand squeezed the back of her neck in emphasis. "…and I will crush it."

His words pulled her down like being drowned in the deepest reaches of the ocean, an anchor cruelly tied to her ankle to assure there was no resurfacing for her.

Her fingers dug into his arm harshly, slowly. Her lips pursed against the suddenly bitter taste in her mouth as she pushed her nails into his impenetrable flesh as deeply as she could manage. Orihime was growing sick of just how utterly impenetrable this man truly was in every sense of the word. She was beginning to hate how easily she fell for his cruel games. Her small hand pushed against his chest, not wanting to be near that coldness a moment longer.

He pulled himself away slowly as his hand released her wrist. She quickly gathered it to her breast. His green eyes stared impassively into the swirls of anger and hurt that swam like effervescent stars trapped in a hurricane of emotion flaring to life in her dark eyes.

He was waiting for her to break, to fall at his feet and cry…she could see it in his eyes.

He was expecting it.

"You're wrong," Her voice was small, if not slightly wounded, but never weak. "You can rip open my chest. You could crack open my skull…you can pull my heart from my body and let it bleed in your hands…but you will _never_ have the power to crush it." Her hushed voice wavered and her chin quivered as she fought to remain unaffected by the lifeless man that stood so close and unmoving before her. A small, insignificant distance and yet, he seemed so terribly far away from her in that moment. "Not now. Not ever."

He was painfully silent and Orihime could not bear the weight of his gaze a second longer. Her arms were hesitant and shaky as she reached up to cradle her chest tightly - protecting her heart from him in the warm embrace of her arms. Her deep, chocolate eyes turned from him as she angled her head aside to stare at the floor.

She felt safe in the familiar caress of her hair gliding faintly against her cheek as the only sounds to call out to her were the elusive flurries of dust dancing through the air like snow; tiny aerials that landed with a muted touch on the ancient books that had not known the stroke of a hand in centuries.

His palm lifted and pressed to the door behind her. She felt that small surge of his reiatsu stream outwards, coursing over the locked door before a subtle creak trembled through the giant partition. The quiet noise agitated the silence in a way that forced her eyes to close, ignoring the sudden flood of light that expanded outwards from the thin sliver of white that cut through the darkness.

She felt his gaze upon her when she refused to move or look at him. The ballet of small specs of dust that twirled through the air and glittered against the light, they sparkled and shimmered in illumination against the shadowy backdrop of the library within, giving one last dazzling flash before falling to the smooth marble at her feet.

"Go." He ordered emotionlessly.

Cold, dry…empty.

That precious place in her chest ached again and Orihime quickly wrapped her arms closer, desperately trying to guard the trembling heart that rested there.

Her long lashes lifted as her soulful brown eyes regarded the harsh image of his silhouette outlined by the bright light around them. The eerie glow of his eyes were focused on her, watching her, commanding her to move with a single look. The tentative brush of her fingers found her neck, carefully grazing over the steady pulse where his lips had pressed as she took in the smooth markings that marred his face, running down his cheeks like tears of endless agony.

Orihime now realized that those markings were a mockery, flowing out from deceptively heartrending eyes. It was an imitation of what he could never be, scorning any who were foolish enough to buy into the false misery that reflected in his eyes. It seemed no one ever bothered looking closer into those eyes where they would see the deepest void of vacant blackness, a pit of despair and emptiness so fathomless it frightened her.

All one had to do was push aside the thick, glossy shine to see what truly lay inside.

Orihime had never seen such desolation, and slowly, very slowly, she had begun to fear he is the embodiment of everything she cannot understand or have…or even change. But when her heart flutters and skips a beat, she forgets everything else in the world and the only thing that remains on her mind, the only _want_ she has ever truly known, is to share that tender fluttering with him.

At times, she wondered if there was anything inside of him at all. His expression is never changing, his reiatsu is abnormally flat and stable. There is no fluctuations, no flares of anger or irritation.

Except…

Orihime thinks back on the times when others, such as Nnoitra, had laughed and made derisive remarks about his heart. Even then, his reactions had been purely physical – a brief glance, a turn of his frown, or a stiffer posture – before he went about his business, ignoring them.

She didn't understand him.

She didn't understand why he was so callous and cold and cruel. She couldn't understand why he didn't want her to reach out to him or why he always mocked her love and kindness and her belief in the heart, the very thing he mocked her for the most.

It pained her to imagine a creature, any creature, dwelling in such a bleak existence. It was in her nature to share her love, to need that connection of emotion and touch and _feeling_. There were times in her young life that she had dreamed of a reality where she was stripped of emotions and the pain they had brought her. But now, seeing that look in his eyes, she could not wish such a thing upon her worst enemy.

And the moment she realized it pained her because she had wanted to share her heart with him, a sad look filled her eyes.

She stepped forward, only pausing in the threshold of the door to cast him one last fleeting glance as a poignant sense of regret washed over her when she realized…they were too different.

Far too different.

When she turned away, Orihime looked up to see the familiar sight of the archway that led out of the central dome and into the fourth tower.

The heavy groan of the door being shut felt like the closing of a book and Orihime didn't need to look back to know he wasn't there.

Her arms fell to her sides. Standing quiet and alone, Orihime forced the quivering of her chin to still as she pressed her lips together and moved onward, hoping she could find the strength to guide herself through the vast maze of bleached walls and painfully tangled webs within Las Noches that awaited her ahead.

.

.

.

It was strange how quiet her room had felt lately. The silence would always be broken in irregular intervals throughout the day while Wonderweiss, Lilynette and Grimmjow managed to chase away the coldness at times, fracturing the odd stillness at all hours of the day and night.

Still, she had not left the tower for several days and although she had been reluctant to even leave her room at first, even Orihime could not stand the arduous silence for long.

Pushing the thoughts aside, her fingers continued to tangle in the mess of wavy brown hair resting on her lap as her eyes fell to the handsome and somewhat rough profile of the man slowly being lulled to sleep under the gentle pull of her fingers.

"_You're the only quiet place…_" He always says.

And Orihime would smile and sigh and it wouldn't be but minutes later and he would be fast asleep under the refuge of her soft, watchful eyes.

She lifted her head to the window resting over her bed, wondering if the furious storms that plagued the deserts recently were keeping her friends from coming for her. She hadn't doubted them for a moment even when she felt the sting of betrayal in learning of Soul Society's choice to use her so callously.

Kurosaki-kun would come for her, and Kuchiki-san and Ishida-kun and Sado-kun and Abarai-kun.

And they would all fight over which method they should use to rescue her, or which areas to attack first. Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun would quarrel the most, but the Quincy would always give under the unstoppable force that was Ichigo. And then they'd all put their hands together and they would promise each other to come back alive. They would grin at one another and share that spark of determination that would ignite in their eyes that only they, and they alone, could understand.

Orihime smiled, trying to stifle the bubbly giggle from escaping her throat in fear of waking the man that lay slumbering quietly in her lap, his slow breathing warming the flesh of her thigh through the thick layers of her skirts.

The sigh that left her lips was full and content as she leaned a little further back into the couch, feeling slightly more uplifted after thinking about them. She was glad that they had not faded from her heart, not in the way some things were.

Attempting to distract herself from the thought of those changes, her eyes glanced down the length of the couch where the lazy Espada's feet lay resting upon the arm of her settee, crossed at the ankle. She wondered about Lilynette's connection to him. They did not seem to get along as swimmingly as partners were expected to.

They were so very different. Yet, they seemed to depend upon one another in a way that was far too deep for any single person to understand. It was not something tangible. It could not be touched or gripped in the palm of your hand.

Orihime bit her lip gingerly as she thought about how very different they were and even so, they shared a bond of need and want. It was as if one could not exist without the other, Lilynette was a necessity for him to survive, and he was her very life.

One was the other.

If these two beings who contradicted, yet completed each other had found some degree of harmony…could two individuals who existed on even further ends of the spectrum find a middle ground, as well?

Orihime found her heart both yearning for that middle ground and pushing it away. It had been torn in so many directions it was excruciating. When the desire for safety and simplicity began to resurface, her maimed heart started grasping for her memories of Ichigo and the small threads of hope that were familiar and comforting in the knowledge that he was something she could never have. It was easy to love someone who she knew would never belong to her. It was easy to hold onto such a love when you already knew its limits.

He could never break her heart…because it was never his to begin with, no matter her fantasies. She could devote herself to him as much as she wanted, but it would never be his until he accepted it.

It was easy to deal with the pain when she already knew it was Rukia's hand he would be holding some day, something that had always made her giddy with joy, not jealousy. Never jealousy.

The ravenous green monster had only touched her once, tempting her into a pit of envy and despair.

It was the day Kisuke had hurt her with his words and sent her away. She had run to Rukia, her chest weighed down with self-pity as she sought solace. The raven haired girl had just recently returned to world of the living, and Orihime had suddenly realized just how good Rukia was for him, how she lifted him up and made him so _amazing_ and polished him until he shined so _brightly_ it made her eyes dazzle with his brilliance.

She had wanted Rukia to pity her. She had wanted the very woman who had taken the man she loved to pity her because Rukia was stronger than her, better than her and, in every sense of the word, worthy of his affection.

But she hadn't.

She had grabbed her arm and she had lifted her up and held her close and made her glow just like the way she made Ichigo shine.

In that moment, luck had graced her with a glimpse of what Ichigo was able to see every day when the diminutive Shinigami woman looked him in the eye with that vibrant, intense soul of hers – touching those fortunate enough to know her with beauty and wonder.

Orihime sighed softly, glad that Kuchiki-san was with him in these hours. He would need her support, all of their support, after learning of her abduction. Ichigo Kurosaki always had been fiercely devoted to each of them, his feelings were powerful, overwhelming and frightening to those who did not understand him. But for those who did, it made it impossible not to fall in love with the young man.

Kuchiki-san always had been the only one capable of accepting the full force of those emotions. She had never bent in the face of his power and had never wavered.

It was truly something to behold.

As Orihime soothed her nails over his scalp, a small finger singled out a thick lock of his brunette hair and wistfully wrapped the loose curl around her knuckle before letting it slip back down the slender appendage like a ribbon. Absentmindedly, her thumb swept over his brow, amused at how a single man could sleep so very much.

Her dreamy musings were interrupted when the recognizable scrape of her door being pushed open sounded from her right. Lifting her eyes, the girl expected to see her stoic warden waiting for her, outlined by the intense white light of the hallway.

But Orihime stopped short when an unfamiliar figure stood in the center of the entrance. Her mouth opened in uncertainty, but lacked the words to voice her confusion as she tried to decipher the edges of the curvy silhouette that remained just outside the reaches of her vision, blinded by the bright lights.

"Ulquiorra?" She called hesitantly, knowing this stranger was not him, but hoping he may be somewhere nearby.

When the figure stepped forward, Orihime rested a protective hand atop the chest of the sleeping, defenseless Espada on her couch.

However, her eyes widened in vague recognition as the sight of wild blonde hair and striking dark skin melted out of the brilliant light like a vision, exotic and exquisite in her confident beauty as she stood before the mesmerized auburn haired girl.

"Orihime Inoue," A stern, feminine voice intoned smoothly.

Orihime's eyes were wide and curious as she observed the attractive woman before her. A mysterious look was in her eyes that peeked out at her from just above the rim of her tall collar. Orihime had seen this woman before. She was an Espada. She had seen her in meetings and in dark, hidden corners of Las Noches as Ulquiorra led her from one destination to another – always watching her from a distance.

It had frightened Orihime at first. But, as she realized Ulquiorra had paid her no mind, Orihime had taken solace in the fact he did not deem her as a threat even as she observed the girl with a direct and slightly daunting stare.

"Yes?" She replied slowly, unsure of the woman or her intentions.

"I apologize for intruding," She spoke calmly and Orihime noticed that even her polite words were mildly intimidating. Yet, the cold turquoise green of her eyes were so vivid and hard it was like looking into twin stones that had been plucked straight from the bluest shores of the ocean. "My name is Tier Harribel," She continued firmly.

"…and I am in need of your help."

Shock stunned Orihime into silence as her eyes slowly widened at her blunt request.

"My…help?" Orihime blinked.

"My fraccion, she is dying." She said and Orihime's brows knit in sudden and sorrowful understanding. "I have seen your power, I know what you are capable of," She trailed off and Orihime sensed the distinct impression that something was holding her back. "You belong to Lord Aizen and I cannot betray his trust. However, it is well known that he holds you in his favor. For you to sway him, I will offer you everything within the reaches of my power, I will grant you any wish I can fulfill." She said, pausing for a moment as a mildly troubled look overcame her hard eyes. "I must…beg of you…please, help me in this endeavor."

Orihime wondered how much this woman must have loved her companions. To come to her, humble, yet still proud and dignified.

A small smile graced her lips as she met her stern gaze and gladly stated, "Of course I will!"

The woman before her gave pause and a look of disbelief flickered across her features as she examined the girl sitting before her, this girl who gently caressed the hair of the Primera Espada in her lap with not an ounce of fear in her body.

She had not expected her answer.

She had not expected such open and guileless kindness.

But for Orihime, there couldn't have been any other answer.

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TBC

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_**I love this chapter!**_

**So, unfortunately my new job is preventing me from updating every week like I used to. However, I will be pumping out chapters with as much frequency as possible. I find it better to prolong an update in order to put proper work into a chapter, rather than just posting some p.o.s. just for the sake of posting.**

**So here we are! It's late, but it's still Saturday!**

**Please feed me your thoughts! It is uplifting and motivating in the best possible way. **

**How much, you ask?**

**Login ^ Publish ^ Manage Stories ^ Post New Chapter = Greatest Thrill Of My Life. **


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